SECTOR 4 The media practice high levels of professional standards. 4.1 The media follow voluntary codes of professional standards, which are enforced by self–regulatory bodies that deal with complaints from the public. There is no code of conduct or professional standards drawn up by media practitioners and implemented by the media in Madagascar. However, media outlets generally have unpublished internal codes of conduct. Attempts at jointly drafting and publishing a code of professional standards were made in 2007. Signatures were collected from journalists but eventually the undertaking encountered a seemingly insurmountable obstacle: the code envisaged the ban and refusal of “brown envelopes” gifts’ of money handed to journalists in exchange for favourable coverage. The project therefore came to an abrupt end. There is no organisation or regulatory body to receive and deal with complaints against the media from the public and there are no self-regulatory procedures. Chapter II of Ordinance 92-039 provides for the right of reply and litigation is possible. The Ministry of Communications has drafted a charter relating to the conduct of journalists during elections. The charter stipulates that journalists must not practice their profession in the service of a candidate. The absence of a common code or a self-regulatory body is the result of the divergence of views within the media itself. It seems that such self-regulation is not a priority among journalists. The panel observed that some reporters place little emphasis on ethical behaviour: the concept seems to differ from one journalist to the other. Generally, journalists rely more on professional associations to look after such matters, rather than taking individual responsibility. However, the Association of Journalists in Madagascar (OJM) is barely functional and finds it difficult to maintain its independence, due to the stranglehold of those in power. Besides, the association has always been more likely to protect than regulate the trade. 114 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER MADAGASCAR 2010