SECTOR 1 who does not hesitate to criticize the Government. He called this “the offense of brotherhood or proximity”. The fear of expressing oneself is also evident among civil servants. Several of them demand an official letter from their hierarchical superior when asked to express themselves on a subject which they consider sensitive. Worse still, certain ministers no longer dare to express themselves about the situation in their departments for fear of being criticized. Another example of the flouting of freedom of expression among journalists is that of the newspaper La Nouvelle Tribune, which was threatened with suspension for publishing a special edition on a debate about changing the country’s Constitution. Its head office was burgled and the culprits have yet to be identified. The publication of that particular issue disappeared off the shelves and copies were quickly bought back, thus preventing citizens from accessing the information. Government services use methods that are questionable to say the least, forcing the private media not to express themselves on certain matters, by means of what are known as “non-aggression contracts” (contrats de non-agression), which are juicy advertising contracts signed between private media, businesses and political parties and which drive certain media to take the opposite stand from their editorial line. Against this hardly enchanting background, the private television channel Canal 3 is one of the few channels that dare to stand their ground, in the words of the panel. But the latter also has its limits, according to one participant, who recalled the failure to broadcast the demonstration of 27 December 2014 owing to a “technical failure”. It was only in the 13:30 edition that footage of the injured was shown, in the onslaught of the forces of law and order. In the evening, the channel stopped the broadcast. During the same period, the transmission of a retrospective broadcast of the year’s key events, spotlighting political players, was cancelled with no reasons given. The interactive broadcasts of Radio Soleil have a large following because, as its promoters claim, they were created to welcome all those who have no access to the ORTB (Office de radiodiffusion et de television du Bénin – Benin Radio and Television Office). Pressures are numerous and do not come only from the public authorities. They may also come from major advertisers such as the telephone companies which are linked to radio stations, newspapers and television stations through advertising partnerships. 66 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BENIN 2014