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: 1.5 (2008 = n/a) 1.5 Print publications are not required to obtain permission to publish from state authorities. Newspaper and magazine licences ceased to exist in Cameroon from 1990. However, the law on Social Communication requires that founders and publishers submit a newspaper declaration to an administrative authority, and receive a corresponding receipt prior to the publication of the first issue of the said newspaper. In practice, however, this requirement essentially constitutes obtaining permission/authorisation to publish. With regards to the declaration, the publisher or founder must provide, among other things, the identity of the founder, publisher and editor-in-chief, certified identity cards and certificates of non-conviction of the founder, co-founders or publisher, and work contracts duly signed with two staff journalists. Although newspapers and magazines are created by declaration, the administrative authority can refuse to give his/her consent for its publication. Hence, in spite of the reforms introduced in 1990 through the ‘Liberty Laws’, some form of authorisation is still required for a newspaper to publish. Newspapers that do not have a “receipt of declaration” are considered illegal. 70 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER CAMEROON 2011