SECTOR 4 4.7 Media professionals have access to training facilities offering formal qualification programmes as well as opportunities to upgrade skills. Training provision (in all aspects – initial, continuous and ad hoc) is considered sufficient, in theory, by the panel. There is a plethora of journalism schools; 10% of the state press subsidy is for fast-track training (a nine-month course in the main journalism schools and institutes). By law, the press companies must allocate 2% of their turnover to upgrading of their agents’ skills. To this must be added the subject-specific training sessions initiated by professional organisations such as the Convention of Young Senegalese Reporters, the Senegalese Union of Information and Communications Professionals, the Network of Economic journalists, the civil society organisations, etc. Certain companies are trying to set up their own internal mechanisms to train their employees. A project of the daily Le Soleil is cited as an example by a panel member. Some thinking is allegedly underway to produce a policy aimed at training and experience-sharing with big international newspapers. For the moment, the project has come up against the problem of resources. The fact remains that the proportion of journalists who are not “properly” trained is larger than that of qualified professionals. Moreover, the size of the supply in terms of training is perceived by the panel as the mechanical result of the “unbridled liberalisation of the private higher education sector”. Accordingly, the curricula are not adhered to and this is evident in the quality of the products of these schools. Whatever the case, a participant on the panel thought that notwithstanding the quality of training, there should be a return to the traditional methods of close and systematic supervision and guidance of beginner-journalists in the newsroom, with proofreading, correction and vetting of all articles. Furthermore, the ample supply barely conceals the glaring disparities in the quality of training. In this area, the panellists feel that the “Centre for Studies in Information Science and Technology (CESTI) and the Higher Institute of Information Science and Communications (ISSIC) stand out above the rest”. And even in these benchmark institutes, one participant feels, the offer needs to be improved and updated, particularly with respect to information and communications technology. These training centres also need to promote the concept of ‘communications journalist’ as a distinct profession. Notwithstanding the above reservations, real efforts are noted. 120 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER SENEGAL 2013