SECTOR 4 On the whole, panellists agreed that the various media associations and the union are in need of introspection to mend the issues that exist internally and that more needs to be done to sensitise journalists and other media practitioners on the importance of these entities. One panellist questioned, ‘What is the awareness of media practitioners of their rights, not as media professionals, but as workers?’ Another replied, ‘They are aware, but appear to be unable to assert their rights. The awareness is there, but there is also a prevailing fear. They may even be reporting on other labour issues but there might be a dissociative thing where they think – “I’m not a part of it”.’ A panellist suggested the need for a council that deals with working conditions in the country’s media houses. ‘There is a need for a serious and robust council to deal with such issues, whereby even the owners of the media houses are reprimanded for their illegal labour practices.’ With the assistance of MISA, a media consortium is currently being set up which will lobby for better conditions and welfare for media practitioners. ‘It is still in its infancy, but we are making headway because we have already been to the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology and the idea was welcomed and we have been encouraged to register it.’ To date, the media organisations that are part of the consortium include MISA-Swaziland, the Swaziland National Association of Journalists, the Swaziland Press Club (SPC), the National Association of Development Programme Producers, the Swaziland Independent Film and Television Producers Association, the Swaziland Community Multimedia Network, the Media Workers’ Union of Swaziland and the Arterial Network Swaziland. 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: 52 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ESWATINI 2018 ✓✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓✓✓ 1.5 (2005: 3.0; 2007: 3.6; 2009: 2.6; 2011: 2.2; 2014: 1.5)