SECTOR 2 Government mechanisms dedicated to promoting the development of the private media do exist. For example, the Ministry of Communication has a department for the promotion of private media, but its work is not visible. Each year, the government distributes CFA 250 million (approximately US $5,000,000) as “public aid” to private media outfits in the country. Media owners have argued that the amount is “ridiculously small”. In 2013, for example, Femme FM Radio in Mbalmayo, received CFA 400,000 (approximately US $800) while the daily newspaper Emergence received about CFA 1 million (approximately US $2000). Many news owners say that what they receive as aid cannot run their publications for a week. Things have however improved recently, compared to the past, regarding state support of the private media. The Ministry of Communication announced plans to increase government subsidies to the private media by about 40% in 2014. Delegates at the National Communication Forum of 2012 drafted a law which would officially create a budgetary provision for state subvention to the private media. In a departure from years of practice where the state run print media was the only recognised medium for the publication of legal notices, the Ministry of Justice has extended that prerogative to the private press. This decision provides access to a major revenue stream by the private press, and this would definitely contribute to its financial sustainability. 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: 3.3 (2008=n/a; 2011=2.2) 2.7 All media fairly represent the voices of both women and men. The social context, which gives men more voice than women, tends to be reflected in the Cameroonian media. In the view of one panellist, women and issues affecting them get less media coverage in part because “women’s issues do not sell newspapers” or attract radio and TV audiences. It is hard to find stories about women on the cover of newspapers or on the headlines of radio and TV newscasts. And if women issues must be discussed, most times it is through men’s voices. Within newsrooms themselves, female journalists do not get assignments AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER CAMEROON 2014 101