MFWA’s country Partner for Senegal, Syndicat des Professionnels de l’Information et de la Communication du Sénégal (SYNPICS), has deplored the arrogation of sweeping powers to the country’s new media regulatory agency, the Conseil national de régulation des médias (CNRM), warning that the excessive mandate risks turning the agency into an instrument of regulatory overreach rather than oversight.
In a statement issued on March 4, 2026, SYNPICS warned that the expanded powers of the CNRM, which is replacing the predecessor Conseil national de régulation de l’audiovisuel (CNRA), creates a dangerous precedent for press freedom and professional autonomy in Senegal. The union cautioned that the new framework positions the regulator as an intrusive inquisitor capable of undermining the independence of media institutions.
“SYNPICS notes with regret serious shortcomings, particularly in Chapter IV, Article 31, which grants the CNRM broad powers comparable to judicial prerogatives,” it stated in a press release issued Wednesday March 4, 2026.
The concerns follow the passage of Loi n° 04/2026 portant création, organisation et fixant les règles de fonctionnement du Conseil national de régulation des médias by Senegal’s legislature, the National Assembly, on March 3, 2026, formally establishing the CRNRM. Central to SYNPICS’s apprehension is Article 31 of the law, which states that: “… the CNRM may conduct visits and inspections within companies or media structures, request communication of any professional document and take copies thereof, and collect, on summons or on-site, all information and justifications. Professional secrecy in activities falling within its field of competence shall not be enforceable against the CNRM.”
According to SYNPICS, these provisions confer on the CNRM, powers comparable to judicial prerogatives and this threatens the fundamental principle of journalistic confidentiality. The union warned that allowing the regulator to access sensitive information without adequate safeguards could expose journalists to undue risk, compromise the safety of their sources, and derogate from the core canons of editorial independence.
While affirming its commitment to, “independent, transparent, and fair regulation of the media sector,” SYNPICS urged a review and reversal of the controversial provisions in the law.
The union also strongly criticised the legislative process, noting the absence of meaningful prior consultation with stakeholders; particularly on such major provisions with far-reaching implications for “the practice of journalism and media technical professions.”
