SECTOR 2

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:

2.7 (2010 = 1.0; 2008 = 1.5; 2006 = 1.1)

2.6 Government promotes a diverse media landscape
with economically sustainable and independent media
outlets.
The government has assisted small private radio stations by hooking them on
the national broadcasting grid instead of getting them to set up their own
transmission infrastructure. They are required to pay 3000 Maloti (approximately
US$355) a month for this service.
“… at the end of the day we need to look at the fact that they are reliant
on government, so if somebody in government wakes up on the wrong side
tomorrow they can just switch them off. And that’s when self censorship comes in
because you find that sometimes you avoid broadcasting certain content because
government just might not like it.”
There are no other initiatives to support media in Lesotho.
“…we know that government has the resources ….so why not use the very same
resources to ensure that the private media is distributed to all corners of Lesotho.”

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AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER LESOTHO 2012

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