Cameroon 1.6 Public information is easily accessible, guaranteed by law, to all citizens including journalists. ANALYSIS: Public information is not easily accessible. There is no law in the pipeline aimed at facilitating access to information by journalists. Information in some cases is quickly made available to the press by a person who wants another’s position. Such information is usually aimed at running down the person. In Cameroon, only journalists with tried and tested loyalty to the regime are allowed to get close to the Head of State and information must pass through such “loyalists”. Even experts in specific domains fear to give out information. This explains why they always insist on having clearance from their bosses before talking to journalists. The Cameroon Union of Journalists (UJC) complained about this situation and the government turned around to say that every Ministry will have a communication unit, headed by a journalist and indeed, most if not all ministries in Cameroon do have communication Units headed by journalists. But it would appear those communication unit heads are yet to understand their role. In fact, they have even made things very difficult as they are usually the first persons to talk of receiving instructions from the Minister before allowing an official to talk to journalists. Panellists noted that public information is easily accessible to journalists of the state-owned media; CRTV and “Cameroon Tribune”. Copies of speeches at public ceremonies are usually given first to CRTV and “Cameroon Tribune” reporters. When it comes to Presidential decrees and other important texts, even journalists of the state-run media encounter difficulties to access them. A citizen who wants a copy of a presidential decree will have to be well connected and even then, he/she must explain the use to be made of it. In the last four years the anti-corruption crusade, has equally made access to public information much more difficult. The fear is that information made available to journalists could be used to implicate the source. Ministers now have their journalist friends to whom they give information and one must depend on such friends. African Media Barometer - Cameroon 2008 9