Sector 4: The media practice high levels of professional standards. 4.1 The media follow voluntary codes of professional standards which are enforced by self- regulatory bodies. ANALYSIS: The Press Council of Botswana (PCB), which started its work in November 2004, is active and has experienced a very good response and support from the public in its first year of operation. It still needs to educate people more on its work, operations and structure – something it has not been able to do in a sustained manner due to scarce resources. There have been some high profile cases, one of them involving a Member of Parliament. The case went through all the stages of the PCB process until it was settled. In all there were 12 cases in 2005, all of them resolved by the PCB, with five of them adjudicated, four mediated and three withdrawn. In 2006, there were fewer cases: four of them adjudicated, one withdrawn and one still pending. The NBB, for its part, has dealt with complaints from individuals and its own staff about unacceptable remarks on the radio and taken up the issue with the concerned station. The radio station issued an apology as a result. There seems to be little cooperation or coordination between the NBB and PCB – either because the PCB fails to engage the broadcasting regulatory body enough, or because NBB does not seem to recognise the PCB as a partner. For example, there was a case that involved possible racist broadcasting which could not be adjudicated properly. The NBB did not help in acquiring the tape in question although this is well within its purview. The radio station concerned claimed system breakdowns or power outages and was finally let off the hook. The NBB and PCB need to sit down together and develop clear procedures for cooperation between them to avoid having some cases fall through the cracks. The PCB’s code of ethics is readily available and has been recognised or adopted by most media houses in the country. Most major media players are members. Newspapers use the PCB logo to indicate that fact and familiarise readers with the body. They also publish its complaints procedures and contact details. Most radio stations, however, do not provide such information. SCORES: Individual scores: Average score: 4.2 3, 4, 5, 2, 2, 4, 3, 3 3.3 (2005 = 3.6) The standard of reporting follows the basic principles of accuracy and fairness. ANALYSIS: The standard of reporting has deteriorated over the last two years. There are too many and frequent mistakes occurring in the Botswana media without anybody seeming to be doing much about it. There is also a lot of speculation and sensationalism in certain sections of the local press – especially in headlines. Generally too little effort is made to get the other side of So This Is Democracy? 2007 -166- Media Institute of Southern Africa