SECTOR 4 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: 3.9 (2006 = 3.5; 2008 = 2.8) 4.4. Equal opportunities regardless of race, social group, gender/sex, religion, disabilities and age are promoted in media houses. The law protects against discrimination in the profession. Article 71 of Ordinance 92-039 states that: “Recruitment, appointment, promotion and transfer will be conducted based on no other condition but the possession of the required professional skills”. On the whole, there are as many women as men working in media houses and there is no discrimination based on gender: women and men have equal opportunities to hold positions of responsibility. Discrimination based on ethnic group is gradually decreasing, although dialects are still an issue. Information is generally relayed using the Malagasy language, which leaves no room for dialects. Evangelical radio stations have a certain preference for journalists who share the same religion. Thus, a Catholic radio station will have no problem recruiting a Protestant journalist (and vice versa for a Protestant station) but would be more reluctant to hire a Muslim. People with disabilities struggle to get into positions where they will be visible to the general public. Though they may be recruited to work backstage (stage management, editing, etc.), they are not particularly sought after to present the news, for instance. Media owners are often hesitant when it comes to employing a person with a disability, arguing that the work of a journalist, which entails field assignments, also requires a certain physical fitness and thus cannot be carried out properly by a physically challenged person. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER MADAGASCAR 2010 117