all along the chain of command - a journalist will censor his or her own story, the sub-editor will censor it, and then the editor will censor it. The situation is worsened by the fact that corruption amongst journalists has reached unacceptable levels due to poor salaries. It is part of the mandate of the self-regulatory Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) - which started operating in February 2009 - to improve standards in the profession. Private and community media subscribe to the VMCZ’s code of ethics but do not fully enforce the standards set. The council is currently in an ‘educational phase’, conducting training courses in newsrooms. With the establishment of the state-controlled Zimbabwe Media Commission the country now has a dual regulatory mechanism. Media organisations and, obviously, the VMCZ are opposed to the ZMC. Initially the constitutional amendment that provided for state regulation was seen as a transitional measure only. In fact, however, commissioners have been appointed until 2015, well beyond the time frame set for the development of a new constitution and fresh elections. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ZIMBABWE 2010 9