Despite government control over the state print and broadcast media, the state media is showing some small changes that give the impression of it becoming more open and critical. However, excessive politicization still remains. Even with the new press law the operational context of the broadcasting system has not changed and government still keeps a monopoly on broadcasting outside the capital through the National Radio of Angola (RNA- Radio Nacional de Angola).

In addition the government is also blocking the expansion to the provinces of Radio Ecclesia, a catholic private radio station operating in Luanda , from where two other private broadcasters also operate. These are LAC (Luanda Antena Comercial), and Radio CEFOJOR which is also the only radio station designed to train radio journalists. Only three other provinces have private radio stations, namely: Benguela (Radio Morena), Cabinda (Commercial Radio of Cabinda) and Huila (Radio 2000).

The private print media appears to be free to report on the situation of the country and reflect on a range of political views Angola is facing. Since the time of its inception, the sector has been riddled with serious financial and technical constraints in a country where the paper industry does not exist and the printing and publishing industry is facing serious problems.

Private papers like Agora, Folha 8, Angolense, A Capital, Semanario Angolense, Actual e Independente are only distributed in Luanda which means that distribution is also a problem undermining the free flow of alternative information across the country.

The daily state newspaper Journal de Angola is the only one that reaches readers from the North and South of the country.
With the exception of the experience of Ondaka, a small community newspaper edited in Southern province of Huambo by the ONG Development Workshop, in Portuguese and Umbundu, there is no other sustainable experience in regional media.

The absence of the investigative journalism- an important tool in monitoring the process of democratic governance, particularly issues like political corruption, transparency, elections and violations against human rights- is another aspect that characterizes the Angolan media landscape. Due to the lack of skills, the direct and indirect pressure on critical media or the impossibility to access to official information, the journalists are unable to conduct their work in an effective and efficient manner.

Legislation governing the media context is not essentially against the principles of media freedom or freedom of expression, which are constitutionally guaranteed.
According to the Constitution (article 21/2), national legislation must be interpreted in accordance with the international treaties ratified by Angola and the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and People's Rights. Furthermore, under this constitutional article the courts are also required to apply those international instruments even if not provoked by litigants.

Despite the constitutional guarantees, there is need to reform the legislation direct or indirectly applicable to the media in order to create an independent broadcasting regulatory body or an independent media regulatory body which would replace the actual National Council on Social Communication (Conselho Nacional da Comunicicacao Social) with new functions and composition.

Among others, there is also a need to continue with the process of revising the Law on Broadcasting Activity and the new press law.. Some provisions of the Law on the State Secrecy Law (Law 10/02) and the Law on the Access to Official Documents (Law 11/02) which can work as a constraint to the access to information must also be changed.

Media Training Institutions

There are 4 institutions, offering training in the area of social communication. These are: IMEL- Medium Institute of Education, which offers a degree course in journalism; ISPRA, The Higher Institute which offers social communication courses; The University of Lusíada, which also offers a degree in journalism and the Independent University, which offers degrees in communication sciences. The Ministry of Social communication administers a centre called the Training Centre for Journalists CEFOJOR which offers short courses in both broadcasting and print media.

Media Organisations/Associations

Among the organizations linked to social communications we would like to highlight the following: The Association of Angolan Journalists (SJA), MISA-Angola (in process of being re-activated), Association of Economic Journalists (AJECO), The Association of Private Media (AIPA), The Association of Angolan Women Journalists (AMUJA) (currently inactive), The Association of Angolan Journalists (UJA (also practically inactive) and the Clube of Journalists.

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