MAURITIUS Sector 4: The media practice high levels of professional standards. 4.1 The media follow voluntary codes of professional standards, which are enforced by self-regulatory bodies. ANALYSIS: There is no self-regulatory body for the media to oversee adherence to voluntary codes of professional standards. This is due to lack of cooperation and issues of pride and ego amongst journalists and groups of newspapers. The La Sentinelle group, owner of L’Express among others, has been pushing for a self-regulatory media council after the Prime Minister announced two years ago that he would set up a statutory Media Commission to oversee the performance of the media (without tabling a draft bill or giving any detail). When the initiative failed, the group developed its own code of ethics and complaints procedure. There seems to be no sense of urgency regarding the establishment of a self-regulatory body. The general feeling is that a Media Commission will not be set up before 2010, the year of the next elections. The Penal Code and laws on broadcasting both provide for a right to reply. SCORES: Individual scores: 2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,1,2 Average score: 1.9 28 African Media Barometer - Mauritius 2008