SECTOR 4 Journalists do not seem to be aware of the fact that integrity is a most precious commodity. 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: 1.7 (2008:n/a ; 2006:n/a) 4.8 Salary levels and general working conditions for journalists and other media practitioners are adequate. Analysis: The remuneration of journalists across the board is extremely poor and considered one of the lowest in Southern Africa. In the private media, salaries may differ slightly from organisation to organisation with the average starting salary for a junior reporter being US$400 a month. For senior editors it is US$600 to US$700 a month. Sub-editors receive US$800 a month and upwards while editors earn anything from US$1500 or more. State media staff get much less. Presenters on ZBC, for example, are paid US$200 a month and so most of them have second jobs. Freelancers can earn US$50 per story (and have to carry the costs involved for transport and telephone). If they manage to produce approximately 15 to 20 stories per month this translates into a gross income of US$1000. To put this in context: An apartment with one bedroom or a small house for middle income earners costs US$300 rent per month on average. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ZIMBABWE 2010 65