4.3 The media cover the full spectrum of events, issues and cultures, including business/economics, cultural, local and investigative stories. ANALYSIS: Rural areas are still left out. They only feature when they are visited by high-ranking government officials. Much needs to be done but it is advised that communities take action to establish their own media. Investigative stories are still lacking, especially when compared to South African newspapers like the Mail and Guardian, Sunday Times and City Press. The world believes that Lesotho has the best printing facilities, but newspapers are still printed in South Africa including Public Eye, which owns a printing press. The printing quality is poor, the machines are inefficient, making advertisers very unhappy. It is advised that laws are enacted to encourage investment in media infrastructure. An assessment of the economic viability of a printing press should be done fore Lesotho. Coverage of business and economy news is still very poor. Score – 2,1,3,2,2,2,2,2 = 2.0 4.4 Gender mainstreaming is promoted in terms of equal participation of both sexes in the production process. ANALYSIS: There is weak gender mainstreaming. Where it is promoted, people don’t know how to go about it. Although gender imbalance is a reality, some owners still don’t see the importance of giving women more opportunities than men just by virtue of being women. They insist opportunities should be given where they are due regardless of sex. Where gender mainstreaming is practiced it is to access donor funding. Gender mainstreaming has two dimensions, quantitative and qualitative – which is sensitivity to women and other vulnerable groups, equality of opportunity, for women to have the same opportunities as men. Scandinavian countries report that they are seeing a different quality of information as a result of gender mainstreaming. Score – 3,1,2,3,2,2,1,2 = 2.0 4.5 Gender mainstreaming is reflected in the editorial content. ANALYSIS: Society is largely male dominated. Women are marginalized in the newsroom and the imbalance still reflects in editorial. Score – 1,2,2,2,2,1,2,2 = 1.8 So This Is Democracy? 2008 -171- Media Institute of Southern Africa