SECTOR 2 Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: Score of previous years: ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ 2.8 2005: n/a; 2007: n/a; 2009: 2.2; 2011: 2.8; 2015: 3.2 2.12 Government does not use its power over the placement of advertisements as a means to interfere with editorial content Government is the biggest advertiser in Namibia and in the past has used its advertising power to punish those deemed too critical of government. Most notably, in 2001, government placed an advertising ban on The Namibian ‘because they didn’t like the editorial stance of the paper’ and the idea that the newspaper appeared to be too critical of its policies. The Namibian, however, was able to survive and flourish despite the ban, which was finally lifted in 2011. ‘Until fairly recently, government used this as a tactic to squeeze The Namibian into providing more favourable government coverage. Under President Hifikepunye Pohamba, that ban was lifted. That sort of blatant economic stranglehold has gone but it may be more subtle now.’ Panellists stated that while government has not issued bans on any other newspapers, more advertising is given to those who provide favourable coverage. One panellist noted that in print media, most government adverts go to the state-owned New Era newspaper, with fewer going to the papers in the NMH stable and even fewer to The Namibian. The former Minister of ICT, Tjekero Tweya, previously made pronouncements regarding government advertising only in its own media outlets. ‘Things are much better now under Simataa (the new Minister of ICT), although he hasn’t publicly pronounced that all media houses should get fair advertising coverage.’ 35 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NAMIBIA 2018