SECTOR 4 The participants were also of the opinion that verbal assaults in the media contribute to a general decrease in objectivity, leading society at large to the conclusion that journalism is guided by either of two principles: a) Protection of the government and the ruling party in the public media sector; or b) Absence of any limits and boundaries in the news coverage of the private media. In the opinion of the participants, the protective stance adopted by the public media sector is a response to the excess that often characterises the work of the private media. Public sector journalists sometimes argue that they cannot report on certain issues. The public therefore generally refrains from tipping off public sector journalists, believing that they tend to shy away from their responsibility towards the public. Again, an example was given of the riots in Mozambique and the prolonged strike by civil servants in South Africa, events that were met with a total news blackout in the public sector media. Participants said that civil society questions the concept of public interest as exercised by the public media, giving as an example the awarding of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to a Chinese dissident, an issue that became the subject of an editorial in Jornal de Angola, which questioned the integrity of the whole award process. In the view of the participants, the Angolan government regards China as an ally, which is why the official media consider the awarding of the prize to a Chinese dissident as an affront and even an attempt to humiliate an important ally of Angola. 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: 116 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ANGOLA 2010 2.1