SECTOR 4 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: 2.6 (2010:2.2; 2008:2.3; 2006:2.3) 4.2 The media follows voluntary codes of professional standards, which are enforced by independent/nonstatutory bodies that deal with complains from the public. A new self-regulatory authority for the media, the Committee on Observance of the Rules of Professional Ethics and Conduct (CORED) was established in 2009 on the ashes of the previous body, the CRED (Committee on the Respect of Ethics and Conduct). The general mission of the structure is, as its name implies, to see to the observance by the media of the professional standards and rules of ethics, and – if necessary – to handle complaints from citizens against the violation of the said standards and rules. But the panel points out that the mechanism, in the wake of its predecessor, is paralysed. According to a speaker, the authority suffers from administrative problems which hinder its operation. In other words, the peer tribunal is not supported by a permanent administration tasked with investigating the matters submitted to it and conducting its business. Moreover, a general assembly is in preparation in order to implement the necessary changes to its composition and structure, as well as to the texts on which it is founded. Resource-related problems are also mentioned. For another panellist, the self-regulatory mechanism is essentially facing a legitimacy crisis, “ever since the Walfadjri group withdrew its recognition, as a result of a penalty inflicted by the CORED on the media company’s television station, following a complaint by the Socialist Party”. Even if a solution to the administrative constraints is found, this speaker feels that non-recognition or the refusal by certain companies to implement the decisions of the peers strip it of all legitimacy and efficiency. Yet the authority had given rise to much hope at the time of its creation, which is why there was considerable support from the stakeholders. A proposal from 114 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER SENEGAL 2013