No news site or other online media has yet been blocked by the government. Nonetheless, requiring promoters of news sites to register with HAAC suggests that public authorities (who do not have the technical capacity to block sites hosted outside the country) know that they will have no trouble blocking sites hosted within the country through the long-established operator Benin Telecom. When the press and freedom of expression are attacked, one often sees civil society mobilise to stand by the media. However, these efforts are considered scattered, uncoordinated and largely ineffective. Radio remains the main source of information for remote and illiterate populations, while the Broadcasting Bureau of Benin (ORTB in French) covers about 80% of the national territory. For some time now, La Nation, the public service newspaper, seems to have lost its editorial independence and increasingly contains headlines and content which are only favourable to state authorities. It is legal to own a television (TV) station, a radio station and a newspaper outlet simultaneously. However, newspapers are required to reveal the names of their owners and shareholders. A state subsidy to the private press is available to all legally-registered media outlets, but due to its controversial management (amongst other things), the ten years when this financial boon had been granted has not fostered the emergence of real press companies. In addition, the government has not granted this aid since 2015 when it amounted to 350 million CFA francs (FCFA) (600,000 USD) a year. Subsidies for public media, which are an exception in media funding, have dwindled. Yet, relevant proposals had been made during the last general assembly of the press for public service bodies to have real budgets financed by taxes levied for their benefit. In reports and news programmes, it has been noted that voices of men continue to be dominant in terms of media presence. The media strives to produce content that meets the expectations of most ethnic groups and different interests, however, coverage of political news and social events are predominant. Investigative journalism is still lacking in Benin. Private media, especially in the written media, have a small number of journalists. In the race to cover news events, it is difficult for journalists to have the time to conduct proper investigations. To this must be added the inability of the media to fund real investigative projects. Resources for in-depth and sustained reporting are also lacking. However, efforts are being made to promote the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), with the authorities creating community multimedia centres offering citizens training and access to ICTs. The media outlets most critical of the state do not receive any advertisement contracts from ministries and parastatals (the latter preferring the so-called 5 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BENIN 2018