As Guinea-Bissau prepares to introduce a multi-party system into its political life, it is on the threshold of a new phase in its history. This process of change will lead us to a society in which a plurality of ideas, opinions and interests will be expressed, with the media being the privileged means of conveying them.
In this context, it is essential to create rules that clearly regulate the actions of each sector of activity. Hence the need to provide the country with a set of rules capable of regulating press activity within a multi-party framework.
This is all the more important given that the press is undoubtedly one of the fundamental sectors in this new context, since by carrying out its multiple functions of information, social integration, education and cultural promotion, dialogue and debate, it can and must play the role of promoting development and democracy in our country.
This law, Guinea-Bissau’s first free and independent law, supplemented by other separate laws covering matters related to political parties’ access to the media, advertising, cinema and the law creating the National Media Council, constitutes a constitutional legal framework that allows citizens to fully exercise freedom of expression and thought, and for information professionals to guarantee professional secrecy and safeguard their independence.
For more details, see the Press Law of Guinea-Bissau
