SECTOR 2 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: 2.9 2.3 Efforts are undertaken to increase the scope of circulation of the print media, particularly to rural communities. The majority of panelists believe that the authorities are not showing any real political will to ensure that newspapers are widely distributed all over the country. They acknowledged that distribution is less of a problem in the capital, Lomé, as well as in regional capitals and administrative prefectures but more so in the rural areas. There are a number of explanations for this state of affairs - political, social, cultural and economic. Firstly, the status quo suits the powers that be because, as one panelist put it, “it is much easier to rule when citizens are not informed”. Administrators and politicians alike, both in Lomé and in the interior of the country, tend to think that the media generally display impertinence and rudeness towards the authorities. As a result, they sometimes believe that it is their responsibility to protect citizens from too outspoken criticism by journalists. To illustrate this point one panelist cited the fact that it is difficult, even impossible, to find private independent publications such as Liberté or Forum in places like Kara (President Gnassingbe’s stronghold), while the state daily Togo Presse is available, despite the considerable distance separating Kara from Lomé, the capital city (more than 400km). Moreover, in certain parts of the country “authoritarian and overzealous” prefects exercise strong pressure so that those under their administration do not have access to sources of information, and a good way of doing that is by controlling distribution. It should also be borne in mind that article 22 of the Press Code act obliges distributors of one or more publications to submit a declaration to that 98 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER TOGO 2010