SECTOR 1 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: ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 3.4 (2007 = n/a; 2009 = 3.6; 2011 = 3.1; 2014 = 2.6) 1.10 Civil society in general and media lobby groups actively advance the cause of media freedom Overall, CSOs advance the causes of the media with the mandate to promote freedom of expression and a free press. Unions and other organisations arrange or join public demonstrations when the press and freedom of expression are attacked. Nonetheless these efforts are dispersed, uncoordinated and largely ineffective. Unions say they do not have the critical mass to influence policy and demand justice for journalists. Some add that the ‘incestuous’ (close) relations that some association leaders maintain with public authorities inhibit the struggle for freedom of expression. Some civil society leaders have become so involved in politics that they prefer to ‘look the other way’ when media rights are being trampled on. In addition, joint action is inhibited by the emergence of progovernment and anti-government groups within civil society. Relations between members of civil society and journalists are tense. Past conflicts, usually due to poor media coverage, make it difficult for some organisations to defend the press. Some journalists add that the media themselves have become difficult to defend because of their poor and unethical practices. They are disorganised and do not agree on the objectives they should pursue. To illustrate the lack of solidarity, panelists claimed that the media did not protest against the unlimited ban by the state of the La Nouvelle Tribune newspaper. 17 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BENIN 2018