SECTOR 4 4.5 Journalists and editors do not practice selfcensorship. Self-censorship is common practice in the Togolese media, both public and private. However, the reasons for such self-censorship in the two sectors differ. In the public sector journalists are, on the one hand, afraid of negative reactions from state authorities to the publication of certain information or their choice of a particular angle and, on the other hand, the overzealous behavior of their immediate bosses. Even though such practices may be becoming less common, one panelist indicated that journalists have received warnings by telephone or been fired while they were still on air. To illustrate this fear of sanctions, another panelist told the story of how a few years ago a director of TVT had a live broadcast interrupted after half an hour. The show was put back on air on the instruction of the head of state himself who had been watching television at the time and, paradoxically, found the programme very interesting. Today, self-censorship is due primarily to the fact that in the case of a severe and abusive sanction, journalists or communication technicians working in the public sector do not have any guarantee of legal recourse against their employer. Often they are not formally notified of their dismissal. Mention was made of a case where a journalist was laid off for a year but still had to report for duty. Moreover, the administrative chamber of the Appeals Court, which has jurisdiction over such matters, is not functioning normally. In the private sector journalists and technicians do not fully exercise their editorial freedom mainly to avoid possible attacks on their physical wellbeing from the people they are reporting on. The fear of “venturing too far” and the absence of reliable evidence are also cited as a motivation for self-censorship in the private media. Whether in the public or the private sector, though, the panel noted that selfcensorship is applied primarily to political and economic information. Some cultural issues are also approached with great caution or simply avoided for fear of possible harm that their coverage might inflict on the security and integrity of the media and the journalists concerned. Journalists also practise self-censorship in relation to information involving their bosses and their relatives. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER TOGO 2010 127