SECTOR 4 areas being covered. In the press, there are agents who have no salary but who own a car that they could only have purchased thanks to the large sums of money collected during news coverage. In order to work in the media, the recruitment process usually starts with a course, but a university qualification is increasingly required, a higher education degree equivalent to at least a university third-year qualification. The press card is signed jointly by the HAAC and the Minister of Communications. The general conditions for obtaining it are the licence plus two years of professional practice. The HAAC has set up a data base which makes it possible to establish who is a journalist and who is not, because to be called a journalist, it is not enough to write a few articles. No physical attacks on journalists have been recorded. The reflex of those who violate press freedom is not aimed at undermining the physical integrity of journalists. 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: 1.6 (2007: n/a; 2009=1.5; 2011=1.5) 4.4 Journalists and other media practitioners are organised in trade unions and/or professional associations, which effectively represent their interests. Media professionals are grouped under the UPMB (Union des professionnels des médias du Bénin – Benin Union of Media Professionals) but some do not belong to it. Press employers are represented by the CNPA (Conseil national du patronat de la presse – National Council of Press Employers). The UMPB and the CNPA are two large associations that emerged from the Etats Généraux de la presse, conference bringing together all players in the industry. The ephemeral creation of SYNPROMEB (Syndicat national des professionnels des médias du Bénin – National Union of Media Professionals of Benin) and SYNAPROPRESSE (Syndicat national des professionnels de la presse – National Union of Press Professionals) did not affect the older unions. There are also unions at the ORTB and La Nation. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BENIN 2014 101