[FoME] Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung: African Media Barometer (AMB) Botswana 2011 was launched on Monday!

[Blanka Balfer]

Dear all,


Freedom of Expression in Botswana is guaranteed in the Constitution and 
the country is signatory to numerous regional and international human 
rights instruments, yet the government's conduct e.g. during the public 
workers' strike shows that the spirit of these documents has not been 
internalised. Children as young as nine-years-old were arrested and held 
in jail for two days during the strike, though the government is denying 
this.


The government owns the biggest media companies and none of them has an 
independent board of directors.**Political interference in editorial 
matters is the rule rather than the exception. The country still has no 
community media. The state dominated advertising sector is too small to 
sustain community and other, private and independent media.


The Media Practitioners Act (MPA) of 2008 contains clauses that could be 
used against journalists' integrity who, it is argued by media 
practitioners; do not toe the government line. Fortunately, it has not 
been applied so far.


There are also positive developments in Botswana: The split of 
Botswana's ruling party in 2010 and the formation of a new opposition 
splinter appears to have brought more openness and debate to the 
country. People speak out in e-mails, call-in radio programmes, and on 
facebook. Moreover, there is a vibrant civil society and media fighting 
for freedom of the media. Their joint efforts led to an Access to 
Information Act being tabled in Parliament at the moment.


You will find the full AMB Botswana 2011 report here: 
http://fesmedia.org/uploads/media/AMB_Botswana_2011.pdf

as well as information on the AMB in general here: 
http://fesmedia.org/african-media-barometer-amb/


Kind regards

Blanka Balfer

-- 

/Blanka Balfer/

/Programme Manager

/

P.O. Box 23652

Windhoek

Namibia

Tel.: +264-61-237 438

Fax.:+264-61-237 441

URL: http://www.fesmedia.org <http://www.fesmedia.org/>

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