SECTOR 4 4.2 The media follow voluntary codes of professional standards, which are enforced by independent/ non-statutory bodies that deal with complaints from the public Media associations came together to develop a Code of Ethics in 1999. This document was revised in 2005 and remains the only framework document, together with the Information and Communication Code, that defines the duties, responsibilities and standards of journalism in Benin. The code is enforced by the ODEM. ODEM was created in 1999, at a time when the government was considering new media laws. The idea was to bring order to the sector and to combat unprofessional and unethical practices. The Observatory was conceived as a selfregulatory body composed of journalists and representatives of other professional groups such as people from the legal profession. ODEM played its role and for some time, stakeholders complied with their decisions. It frequently received complaints from the public, including senior army officers and university professors. The Observatory was credible, respected and demonstrated the ability to self-regulate the media sector. In addition, it was bold and spoke against reporters more often than for them. Initially there were only a few journalists, making whistleblowing an effective means of enforcing media ethics. However, the Observatory became weak, due to the expansion of the media landscape and the arrival of young journalists who did not grasp the original vision of the Observatory. In addition, the Observatory is unable to ‘bite’, as technically, it can only denounce and raise awareness. Reflections are underway to reorganise and revise the Code of Ethics to reflect current challenges such as online journalism and social media. 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: 39 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BENIN 2018 ✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓✓✓✓ 3.1 (2007 = 5.0; 2009 = 4.3; 2011 = 3.9; 2014 = 4.2)