SECTOR 4 At the Times, medical aid is optional and may be structured into one’s salary, with the employee paying a portion of the cost. At the Observer, ‘medical aid is a must’. Panellists noted that employees at Swazi TV (a parastatal) are well paid, while salaries at SBIS are set in accordance with government salary scales. ‘In broadcasting – specifically at SBIS – media practitioners are seen as information officers, not as journalists; and editors are principal information officers. So, they serve as a mouthpiece for the government, being housed as a government department.’ In some media houses, journalists have to cover their transport costs and are only reimbursed if the story is published. ‘You end up spending a lot of money for stories that might not even get published and if they’re not published, you don’t get compensated for that.’ This state of affairs was shocking to many on the panel, with one panellist noting, ‘In the past, we used to be compensated for work done, whether or not the story got published.’ Another panellist suggested that journalists and media practitioners take these issues up with the tripartite Wages Council housed in the Ministry of Labour. ‘These things should find expression in the Wages Council to deal with them.’ The working conditions of journalists, especially concerning their safety, also require urgent attention and redress. An example was given of a media house where ‘a journalist was covering an event and was turned on and attacked by the crowd at the event. To get away he got into a car, which was stoned by members of that crowd, causing a lot of damage to the car. The journalist had to pay for all the damage, as the company refused to cover the damage caused’. In another experience at a local daily, ‘A photographer was hitchhiking to cover an event for his media house. He got a lift, but was mugged along the way and stripped of his shoes, as well as the camera. He was forced to pay for the camera by the media house.’ For journalists working late hours, some media houses arrange for transport. ‘At the Times, if you work late hours and have no car, the head office newsroom will arrange for transport – but only within a certain radius. If you live outside that radius, you have to find your [own] transport.’ The Observer is also known to provide transport for journalists working late hours. ‘Every year, the Ministry of Labour comes for site visits. They call you to the boardroom, ask about your working conditions, what complaints you have and so forth. The last time they came, I told them that “you are wasting our time” because they’re always coming, but there are no changes.’ On the whole, panellists agreed that the salary levels and working conditions of journalists and other media practitioners require serious attention. 49 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ESWATINI 2018