SECTOR 4 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • the depriving of liberties for libel acts; the disappearance from most television channels of programmes that offer adversarial views; the constant refusal of the state television to air views opposing those of the ruling party; the lowering standards of professionalism in the media; the non-transparent nature of government contracts with the media whereas public resources are used to pay for these services; the tendency to deprive of liberties; the tendency for the government to prevent the HAAC from carrying out its duty to regulate and monitor state bodies (see a decision of the Constitutional Court which sets limits to the prerogatives of the HAAC); the dwindling of the HAAC’s credibility due to the involvement of certain of its members in electoral processes; the dangerous and harmful proliferation of the media, particularly newspapers; the excessive interference of politics in the media; the verbal threats of politicians against the media; the code of professional conduct being increasingly ignored; the absence of women as HAAC advisors; the poor quality of teaching offered by certain media training facilities; the graveness of concurrently working as a journalist and as a press officer; the deadlock in the distribution of press cards; the increased corruption in the media; and the non observance of the collective bargaining agreement by media managers Positive changes: who or what has been the main cause? Positive changes were made possible through: • • • • • 118 political will; the activism of professionals; the interventions of professional organisations; the entrepreneurial ambition of media owners; the charisma of HAAC members. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BENIN 2009