4.8

Salary levels and general working conditions for journalists and
other media practitioners are adequate to discourage corruption.

ANALYSIS:
Salaries for journalists in Botswana are mostly based on comparable industry salary levels.
Journalists are expected to declare gifts and the nature of such gifts to determine whether or
not they should be allowed to keep them. There are clear divisions between the editorial and
the marketing departments in most media houses in the country.
While salary levels generally are high enough to serve as a disincentive for corruption, there
are some cases of journalists allegedly being on the payroll of powerful people in business
and politics.
SCORES:
Individual scores:
Average score:

4.9

3, 4, 3, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3
3.4
(2005 = 3.4)

Training facilities offer formal qualification programmes for
journalists as well as opportunities to upgrade their skills.

ANALYSIS:
Short-term training is available and MISA informs media houses regularly on such opportunities. Many students were trained in media all over the world on government scholarships and
locally at the University of Botswana. In addition there have also been many short courses
offered by several institutions in the region. At the moment, there are even too many journalism
graduates in the country and not enough full-time jobs available for them.
In spite of the various training options available, these do not seem to be making much impact. Journalists are either not actively seeking out these opportunities or they are not being
taught appropriate skills. There also does not seem to be a culture of journalists challenging
themselves to perform better.
SCORES:
Individual scores:
Average score:

4.10

5, 4, 4, 4, 3, 4, 3, 3
3.8
(2005 = 4.0)

Journalists and other media practitioners are organized in trade
unions and/or professional associations.

ANALYSIS:
Some of the old media organizations like the Botswana Journalists Association or the Botswana
Press Club seem to have collapsed or are dysfunctional. However, apart from the Botswana
MISA chapter and the Botswana Media Women’s Association, there are also a number of
more recently established bodies like the Botswana Media Workers’ Association, the Botswana
Editors’ Forum, Journalists Against HIV/AIDS, the Botswana Filmmakers Association and the
Botswana Independent Producers Association.
So This Is Democracy? 2007

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Media Institute of Southern Africa

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