Media: Despite the Angolan Constitution (in Portuguese) guaranteeing freedom of expression and the press, the media continue to operate in a restricted environment. The provision of news is dominated by state-owned media, and independent journalists are frequently harassed, especially outside the capital, where a few independent and critical publications can be found. The government has tried to co-opt or buy-off the private media. Despite constitutional guarantees providing for civil liberties, in November 2010, the parliament passed a new state security law enabling the detention of persons  who 'insult' the Republic of Angola or the president in 'public meetings or by disseminating words, images, writings or sounds'. According to Freedom House 2011, this clause leaves the door open for arbitrary dentention of political opponents and does not meet international standards. These provisions seriously limit press freedom and lead to self-censorship among journalists, who have seen colleagues arrested for reporting on corruption and the self-enrichment of the national elite. This kind of harassment is especially prevalent in the provinces, where public scrutiny is less effective. Even though the law provides for public access to government information, the government is selective in providing it. Reporters Without Borders 2010 ranks Angola 106th out of 178 countries, while the Freedom House 2011 ranks Angola 143th out of 196 countries and describes Angola's press environment as 'not free'.

Civil Society: Freedom of assembly and association is guaranteed by the constitution. However, according to the Chr. Michelsen Institute 2006, civil society organisations (CSOs) working with governance and transparency in Angola are small and weak, operate with a limited membership and are highly dependent on foreign funding. Moreover, according to the US Department of State 2010, NGOs working with sensitive issues such as corruption have reported government interference in their activities throughout 2010. In addition, CSOs are frequently threatened with closure or prosecution when they speak out about revenue accountability or corruption, as reported by the Revenue Watch Institute. In 2007, the prominent anti-corruption activist Sarah Wykes was arrested by the Angolan security forces, according to the US Department of State 2009. Authorities charged her with unspecified crimes against state security during her visit to the Cabinda province to research transparency in the oil sector for Global Witness. Subsequently, the authorities released Wykes on a bail of USD 2000, according to a 2007 press release by Transparency International. NGOs are also lamenting a lack of adequate information about the processes and procedures involved in the extraction, marketing and sale of oil, which limits their ability to follow the money streams and to question the management of oil revenues.

Episcopal Conference Commission for Justice and Peace (ECCJP): The ECCJP's main task is to produce reports for the Bishops Conference to present to the government. Since 2005 it has focused on the analysis of the national budget, with the aim to increase transparency in oil and diamonds revenues. The ECCJP also advocates for Angola to join the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI). In pursuing its goal, the ECCJP is leveraging its access to government channels and the fact that it represents a significant part of the nation's voting population. The ECCJP's work can be inscribed in a general trend of churches being more involved in the political debate on good governance and human rights.