SECTOR 1 The bureaucracy involved in accessing information also makes it difficult for citizens to get the information they need. For example, The Patriot newspaper conducted an investigation which found that when applying for social protection grants (such as grants for orphans and vulnerable children, pension and disability) one needs to go to six different ministries in order to a complete an application. ‘This shows how difficult it can be for citizens to access information.’ Information on key issues in the public discourse such as the list of beneficiaries from Namibia’s land redistribution efforts and in-depth details on the Food Bank – remain difficult to obtain from government. ‘Several bottlenecks exist when trying to access information from government or from public institutions,’ not only for citizens, but also for journalists. A panellist noted that when some community broadcasting stations began their voter education productions, they went to a stand of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) at the Katutura Expo2 and were told that the ECN would only provide information to reporters from NBC. ‘We literally had to get an NBC reporter to interview the ECN for our story and then put together a story based on that interview.’ The ECN’s public relations officer later denied that this was part of the commission’s requirements, but the incident showcased the gross misinterpretations that can occur when state agencies provide public information. This tendency by government to favour state media is not surprising. ‘There are some events where so-called government media will be invited and the other media get left out.’ ‘I have a lot of friends in the media that get their news from NBC,’ a panellist said. ‘There was a minister at some point who said all media should have access to state events, but I’m finding it disturbing that in some instances, they only call for state media to attend.’ Further, getting information from NBC can prove costly. ‘I wanted to get a copy of a Talk of the Nation programme and NBC quoted us 780 NAD [Namibian Dollars] [54 USD] for a five-minute segment. So, these costs can be exorbitant.’ It was highlighted that in a recent publication by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), it was found that it is indeed very difficult to access information in Namibia. According to the panellists, the government was up in arms discounting the IPPR report, but it clearly reflected the reality. Even at NBC, reporters struggle to get information in good time due to the bureaucracy involved with accessing information from government. ‘It can take very long before you get the information you need.’ 2 The Katutura Expo takes place annually in Windhoek, Namibia and provides a platform for small business owners in the area to showcase their products and services. 16 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NAMIBIA 2018