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: 1.7 (2008 = 1.6) 2.4 The editorial independence of print media published by a public authority is protected adequately against undue political interference It is unclear if the state-owned Cameroon Tribune has a clearly spelled out editorial policy. Interference by state authorities is commonplace, and for many years now, the newspaper has been sending a “run down” of the highlights of the next day’s publication to the Minister of Communication for vetting. The Cameroon Tribune’s board is also headed by a government official, who is usually a top executive at the presidency. Journalists complain that they are often reproached by members of government over stories they publish, and have been forced to practice self-censorship. But guided by the luminaries of the profession, many of the journalists at the government daily newspaper have studied rather well, and there are many instances where such interference is directly challenged. A recent example was the decision by the editorial team of the state paper, the Cameroon Tribune, to reject the proposal by some government officials to publish large portions of the book, Paul Biya: The People’s Call, which is a compilation of a series of letters of support, mainly from ruling party officials, inviting the Head of State to run for another 7 year term of office in 2011. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER CAMEROON 2011 81