15 August 2012 Last updated at 10:44 ET

Mali profile

• Overview
• Facts
• Leaders
• Media
• Timeline

Mali's broadcast and print media were long hailed as being among the freest in Africa.

But media freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has identified a "constant and dramatic deterioration" since a March 2012 military coup.

Media outlets have accused the military leadership of intimidating reporters into censoring news.

In the north, the collapse of state control has led to a "trial of strength" between local media and Islamists who want to "deprive the population of independent news coverage", says RSF. Many journalists are said to have fled the area.

There are some 40 privately-owned newspapers and around 50 private radio and TV stations, as well as state-run print and broadcast media.

The BBC is on air in Bamako (88.9 FM).

There were nearly 415,000 internet users by December 2011 (Internetworldstats.com).

Press

• L'Aurore - national daily
• L'Essor - state-owned national daily
• Le Republicain - national daily
• L'Independent - privately-owned
• Info Matin - privately-owned daily
• Les Echos - daily

Television

• Office de la Radiodiffusion Television du Mali (ORTM) - public, programmes in French and local vernacular languages

Radio

• Office de Radiodiffusion Television du Mali (ORTM) - public network of national and regional stations
• Radio Bamakan - community station, Bamako
• Radio Canal 2000 - Bamako
• Radio Patriote - commercial, Bamako
• Frequence 3 - commercial, Bamako
• Radio Tabale - Bamako
• Radio Liberte - commercial, Bamako
• Radio Kledu - commercial, Bamako
• Radio Benkan - Bamako
• Radio Rurale - network of community stations

News agency/internet

• MaliWeb - news portal
• Malikounda - news portal
• Malijet - news website
• aBamako - news website
• AMAP - Agence Malienne de Presse