Coup d’état of 2002 occurred, triggering thereby the civil war that ended with the Ouagadougou agreements in 2007. Despite the war, which devided the media into two, legislation on media and broadcasting was adopted in December 2004. It was the ground-breaking outcome of a broad consultation among media actors: a long process that commenced in 1992, at the onset of the “media springtime” marked by the 1991 Media Act deemed liberticidal by journalists and media actors. Ivory Coast is a signatory to international instruments protecting freedom in general including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the ECOWAS treaty on civil liberties and press freedom. Freedom of Expression is effectively regulated by several legal instruments that organise and create spaces for the freedom of each other within the conditions set by the Ivorian legislator and in compliance with the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa. The Media Act 2004-643 distinguishes between a violation of the media Act and a media incitement to offence. This Act depenalizes all violations of the Media Act but recommends criminal sanctions for all media incitement to offence: theft, looting, violence, murder; tribal, religious or racial hatred; xenophobia, instigation of security forces to disobedience... To publish a newspaper, no prior authorization is required for the edition of a newspaper or a written publication in Ivory Coast. A simple declaration is to be made: “prior to the publication of any newspaper or periodical, a declaration of publication shall be submitted to the Public Prosecutor in whose jurisdiction is located the headquarters of the newspaper or periodical”. On the other hand, the editing company of a newspaper or periodical must prove that it is legally established, is a registered business, is up-to-date with its tax payments as well as payments to social welfare institutions. With regards to broadcasting, based on the terms for granting approvals for the use of broadcasting frequencies, the National Broadcasting Board usually issues calld for bidders. A bids or candidates review committee evaluates the public interest of each project based on the key requirements particularly the safeguarding of sociocultural pluralism and makes recommendations to the CNCA which makes the decision on frequency allocations. The Ivorian media landscape offers a wide variety of information sources to the public. About a hundred radio stations including the national radio, rural radios, private commercial radios, private non-profit radios and some international radios provide coverage on frequency modulation (FM) practically throughout the country. About twenty daily newspapers and sixty periodicals are regularly available in newsstands. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER IVORY COAST 2009 71