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: 2.4 (2010 = 1.4; 2008 =n/a; 2006 = n/a) 2.7 All media fairly reflect the voices of both women and men. There are no editorial policies in newsrooms to ensure that the voices of men and women are reflected fairly. A quick survey of sources quoted in newspapers or even radio and television shows that preference is given to men as they seem to be regarded as the voices of authority. Media outlets are dominated by male editors and so journalists write in a way that they think will please their (male) editors. Even women journalists prefer using male sources in their stories. The underlying aspect of this “is that we are not yet conversant with gender sensitive issues and how to report on gender or ensure gender balance in stories. We don’t have skills in those aspects.” Attempts by reporters to introduce gender balance in media content, is often thwarted by editors themselves. A journalist, who wanted to report on an event held by the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) Womens’ League during Women’s Month, was forced by her editors to get a comment from the leader of the party – the current Prime Minister. “It happens subconsciously, it’s the way we have been brought up. But they also feel that to get credible information, they go to the men, so most of the stories are told in the voices of men. Last week, women marched to protest child molestation, violence, rape and abuse and the story on television showed the Prime Minister being interviewed.” “At the opening of the elective conference the focus is always on what the men say and the more prominent the man the better the story.” AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER LESOTHO 2012 33