4.6 Journalists and editors do not practice self-censorship. ANALYSIS: Self –censorship is practiced quite a lot because they are very few media houses with known policies to its editors and journalists and which the policies are enforced. Self censorship is overt in content and layout of papers. The degree of self censorship is based on minimizing harm. SCORES: Individual scores: Average score: 4.7 2, 1, 1, 3, 1, 1, 3, 3, 3 2.0 (2006= 2.1) Owners of private media do not interfere with editorial independence ANALYSIS: Most often there is editorial interference in the private media. Coupled with lack of clear inhouse policies private media play a guessing game of what is allowed and what is not. SCORES: Individual scores: Average score: 4.8 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 3, 2, 3 1.9 (2006= 1.4) Salary levels and general working conditions for journalists and other media practitioners are adequate to discourage corruption. ANALYSIS: Salaries levels are generally low while working conditions are poor which when compared to the cost of living, these salaries are inadequate. Most media houses lack general organisational structures and there is no upward mobility of journalists, training opportunities and retirement benefits. As such there is great mobility of journalists in the different media houses. A study on working conditions of journalists shows that about 68% of journalists are correspondents who are on a retainer. This in actual fact means that they are working as labourers. It was noted however that high salaries are not a guarantee against corruption. There are Editors who are well paid but are also the most corrupt. Also, journalists work for over 80 hours per week most of the time without overtime compensation. The panellists also noted that many media houses have a weak economic base and cannot pay good salaries and other benefits. Circulation of newspapers is still low while advertising rates are also quite low compared to those of Kenya for example. SCORES: Individual scores: Average score: So This Is Democracy? 2008 1, 1, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3 2.0 (2006= 2.0) -243- Media Institute of Southern Africa