SECTOR 1 members to be part of organisations that are critical of the party has a chilling effect.’ ‘A lot of credible leaks are dropped off at our paper. Ministers and politicians even fear their own system. Even this week, we were brought cabinet documents that prove things and these came from Cabinet Ministers.’ Beyond the assurance of anonymity and one’s position in government, other factors that may affect how freely citizens express themselves include their geographical location (urban versus rural), issues around community and morality, etc. ‘If you’re coming from a more rural traditionalist setting, obedience to culture and especially respect for elders is very important. This is less pronounced in urban environments.’ ‘In the community, for example with community radio, etc, there is fear of the community and of the chief or councillors, who also serve as watchdogs.’ A panellist noted that, for LGBTI persons, practising this right can be difficult because of fear of political political landscape or due to personal prejudice they might face. Further, the representation of LGBTI Namibians in the media can be problematic. 'Only a few LGBTI issues make it to the paper, with some editors being hesitant to publish LGBT-related stories and when they do, the coverage is often negative or sensationalised.’ ‘At institutions of higher learning, even students and academics struggle to express themselves because of fear of reprisal.’ Journalists also find it difficult to fully practise their right to freedom of expression and panellists noted that this is often a result of the lack of access to information. ‘Practically, there are a lot of issues. Government often holds closed-door meetings where they don’t allow media to enter or to publish information.’ The ability to practise the right to freedom of expression also depends greatly on which media house one is referring to. ‘Although some exercise freedom of expression, state media practitioners are self-censoring.’ ‘At NBC, on Open Line, you might know that a certain leader or minister is not doing the right thing – say they are corrupt – but they won’t allow you to mention the name of that minister on the programme.’ At NBC, several programmes have also been cut and/or modified to ‘toe the political line’. ‘NBC stopped playing newspaper headlines: the Week that Was has been done away with and radio shows are more directed and not as open as previously.’ Both citizens and journalists are increasingly making use of new media – including platforms such as WhatsApp and other social media – to openly express their 10 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NAMIBIA 2018