SECTOR 4 Against this murky background, there are still journalists who struggle to remain objective in the practice of their profession. 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: 1.8 (2007=2.4; 2009=1.9; 2011=2.1) 4.2 The media follow voluntary codes of professional standards, which are enforced by independent/ nonstatutory bodies that deal with complaints from the public. A code of ethics for journalists does exist in Benin. It is widely disseminated in press organs by the ODEM (Observatoire de la déontologie et de l’éthique dans les médias – Professional Practices and Media Ethics Observatory) the self-regulatory body and jury of peers (tribunal des pairs). According to the provisions of Article 14 of its Articles of Association, the objective of the ODEM is to “ensure observance of the rules of conduct and ethics pertaining to the media, protect the right of the public to free, complete, honest and accurate information; defend the freedom of the press; ensure the security of media professionals in the exercise of their duty and guarantee their right to investigate freely all facts influencing public life; encourage media professionals and press organs displaying professionalism; conduct research and reflection on the evolution of the media”. The ODEM has jurisdiction over all the media, since Article 24 of its Articles of Association stipulates that it “subsumes within itself three commissions: the Print Press Commission, the Radio Commission and the Television and ICT Commission”. And Article 24 of the Rules of Procedure states that “The decisions handed down by the ODEM are binding on all media players in Benin and are not subject to appeal within the self-regulatory body”. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BENIN 2014 99