SECTOR 2 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: 1.8 2.4 Transparency of ownership of media houses in print/broadcasting is guaranteed by law and enforced. “Freedom of Information and Communication Law” stipulates that both the individual or corporate owner of a newspaper must be identified – from the first issue that goes to press. The law further adds that each edition of the newspaper must carry the name of the publisher, who is often also the founder. Similar requirements are imposed on founders of broadcast outfits. But more often, the ownership of media outlets is a murky domain in which the real owners are concealed by front men. Nonetheless, it is not a taboo subject since in Congo it is easy to know media owners, even though sometimes they hand management to relatives and third parties. For instance, Les Dépêches, is believed to be owned by the French national Jean Paul Pigasse, even though Congolese laws prohibit foreigners from owning controlling shares in media structure10. It is still not clear to many who owns Radio Liberté, a station created during the period of conflict and managed by a committee headed by a supervisor appointed by the Congolese president, Denis Sassou-Nguesso. The law excludes several categories of people like civil servants from owning media outlets. Yet, it is widely known that the vast majority of media owners in the country are senior government officials or people with close ties with the government. Digital Radio Television (DRTV), part of a group that also owns a newspaper, is widely known to be owned by a General of the national army. But the laws exclude military personnel from media ownership. 10 Loi N° 8-2001 du 12 Novembre 2001 portant sur la liberté de communication en République du Congo 90 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 2013