HAPA reports disparities in Mauritania's digital media landscape

The Haute Autorité de la Presse et de l’Audiovisuel (HAPA) has reported that there are 293 active websites in Mauritania, noting significant disparities in content production, originality, and professional standards.

According to its 2025 annual report, less than 10% of these sites produce approximately 20 articles per day, often utilizing original reporting or repurposed content from print, television, or news agencies. About 20% of sites produce content at a lower frequency with less originality and professional rigor. A third category of sites reportedly produces almost no original content, relying instead on copying and pasting articles from local or foreign media.

The report also examined the use of national languages in audiovisual programming. Pulaar accounts for 41.30% of programs in national languages, followed by Wolof at 32.42% and Soninké at 26.28%. However, HAPA noted that many of these programs are merely translations or summaries of bulletins originally produced in Arabic, recommending more original content created directly in national languages.

Additionally, the authority observed a continued decline in print media due to the rise of electronic media and social networks. In 2025, 31 out of 33 periodicals that applied for the Press Support Fund were approved.