SECTOR 4 The media practices high levels of professional standards. 4.1 The standard of reporting follows the basic principles of accuracy and fairness. The Congolese media are characterised by wide ranging flaws that generally erode their credibility. Both the private and public media frequently come under criticism for one sided reporting, wanting fact checking and even blatant fabrication/ distortion of information. “Editorial content sometimes includes lies and insults.” As a general practice, news reports are loaded with commentary and the personal opinion of the reporter and there is no visible effort to separate news from views. Paid content (features and interviews) is often presented as the product of journalistic work, sometimes even as headline stories. Members of the public believe journalists frequently take part in propaganda and “whitewash” politicians and other public figures and institutions. It is common for the media to run stories produced or written by press attachés and public relations officers without any input from themselves. “The news always appears to be tele-guided. Journalists have interests that they try to promote in their work”. Multiple factors account for the “mediocre” professionalism of Congolese media. But the most important are lack of adequate training, corrupt practices in the broader society and a culture of “boot licking”. “Many want to do a good job but the context makes it difficult”. A direct consequence is the number of libel cases heard by Congolese courts. According to one estimate, at least a case is heard every two weeks, most of them resulting in guilty verdicts. Public trust in the media has also dropped, resulting in weak sales for newspapers. “There is nothing in the papers to help the public make informed choices”. The private media claim to be relatively more professional than the public media, which is highly influenced by politicians and public authorities. Public authorities consider the private press as an opposition force, because from time to time, they run stories that embarrass the government. Nonetheless, the private media is mostly responsible for sensational reporting. 112 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 2013