Media: The freedoms of speech and of the press are provided for in the Constitution and are largely respected in practice. In fact, Mali is ranked as one of the freest when it comes to media climate in Africa. Despite that libel remains a criminal offence and is severely punished, according to Freedom House 2010, no journalist has been prosecuted under this law since 2007. The Bertelsmann Foundation 2010 also reports that the mass media can operate largely without government interference, and due to a high illiteracy rate in the country, most media are broadcast media. There are more than 200 radio stations in the country, and some of them provide critical views of the government, as reported in Freedom House 2010. However, there are certain restraints in the Press Regulations and Press Offences Act and Penal Code (in French) that complicate writing or broadcasting about corruption. Access to the Internet is not restricted or monitored by the government. However, the Internet is accessible only by around 2% of the whole population, including those who are able to pay the high connection fees. Despite these restraints, the media have helped increase civil society's impact in the fight against corruption. In the Reporters Without Borders Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2010, Mali is ranked 28th out of 178 countries. The Freedom House Freedom of the Press Index 2011 ranks Mali 45th out of 196 countries and describes the country's media environment as 'free'.

Civil Society: Civil society in Mali is generally viewed as being strong. According to the Bertelsmann Foundation 2008, the former dictator Traoré could not have been overthrown in 1992 without some strong traditions of civil society. Many civil society organisations (CSOs) contribute to raising public awareness of corruption problems, and they are able to convey their messages through the media. According to Bertelsmann Foundation 2010, citizens can enjoy almost unrestricted freedom of association and assembly. In principle, CSOs are able to operate freely without governmental interference. However, the separation between state and civil society is not easily discernible, given that many NGO leaders are also members of the government.

West Africa Trade Hub: The West Africa Trade Hub is funded and managed by the USAID Regional Mission for West Africa (USAID/WA) with the incentive to promote trade throughout the region. Its Improved Road Transport Governance (IRTG) team has been providing training of local truck drivers and collecting data about bribes, delays and checkpoints in order to optimise cargo transport and make it faster and less expensive. Apparently, this programme has been especially successful in Mali where improvements have been made in reducing the amount of bribes paid as well as the number of checkpoints.

African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC): APNAC has a chapter in Mali. Their activities include preparation of anti-corruption action plans, capacity-building workshops, funding activities, etc.