In the Ivory Coast, a lot of newspapers were created by journalists and there is a crucial lack of competence in management, marketing and production, he says. Besides, the manufacturing costs of a newspaper are very high.

These two factors, says Mr Bakayoko, explain why newspaper directors often hesitate to dash into an edition of 10,000 copies. But this is the profitability point of a publication, he says.

Take, for example, a daily with 4,000 copies. "We can estimate that there are usually between 20 and 30 percent of unsold copies. If we foresee a rate of unsold papers at 25 percent, the number of sold newspapers is 3,000 copies," says Mr Bakayoko

That equals 240,000 CFA francs (380 US dollars) in production costs. Distribution costs adds another 35 percent, for a total of 450,000 CFA francs (715 US dollars).

If the newspaper sells for 200 CFA francs (30 US cents), the income for 3,000 sold copies will be 600,000 CFA francs (955 US dollars), leaving 150,000 CFA francs of income per day.

But when staff costs are deducted, "there is already a deficit," says Mr Bakayoko.

With a daily with a circulation of 10,000, taking the same proportion of unsold copies, and following the same calculation, we arrive at a 9 million CFA franc result of receipts (14,316 US dollars) per month and therefore the newspaper can pay its editorial staff.

"With 10,000 copies, we arrive at a point which, if we add advertising revenues, reaches a certain balance ", says Mr Bakayoko.

So, to begin with a too modest edition condemns the project before it even starts. To help newspapers to set up and survive, Mr Bakayoko created a National Council of Print Media Executives of the Ivory Coast one year ago. The purpose, among other things, is to set up a buying group which will order paper in great quantities to allow the Ivory Coast publications to buy paper from lesser cost.

The 19 September coup suspended the activities of the council in the Ivory Coast, but the work continues because the country will need such a structure when peace returns in the country, says Mr Bakayoko. With 40 weeklies in the Ivory Coast still a few months ago, only 18 or 20 are still alive, he says.