Programme D: Media Support Activities: Enhancing Media Accountability and Professionalism D1. Significant activities was undertaken under this programme. The MISA activities towards self-regulation in the region has produced good results. In Botswana the process culminated in the establishment of a Press Council, the Botswana Press Council which was registered in October 2002. After few months in operation, the Minister of Communications Science and Technology tasked the Press Council and MISA to revise the Mass Media Bill and to come up with a better Bill that would create an enabling media environment. D2. MISA Namibia launched a Code of Ethics and appointed the first-ever Media Ombudsman, who was introduced to the public and other stakeholders at World Press Freedom Day activities on May 3, 2002. At this occasion MISA Namibia urged government to recognise this initiative by the media and use this channel as a media regulatory body rather than set-up its own. For the first time ever, MISA Namibia was given a platform on national television where the question of the necessity of a code of ethics was discussed during a panel discussion. The response from the public was generally enthusiastic, which only served to underscore the fact that the media in Namibia needs a set of standards or principles within which to operate. What remains now is to see how the Code will be enforced. The other problematic area is how to bring the dissenting media practitioners to take ownership of the need for the media to regulate itself through a code of ethics. During this period in 2002,the pilot phase of the Media Monitoring Project was completed. The project monitored, over a set timeframe, the standard of journalism of both the print and electronic media in state and privately-owned media. A report of the findings was compiled and widely distributed to stakeholders. It was well-received and emphasised the need for such a project in order to ensure the media industry becomes and remains aware of its shortcomings and hopefully take appropriate action to redress the imbalances. D3. In Swaziland, MISA facilitated a successful self-regulation campaign in conjunction with the Editor’s Forum, which resulted in the drafting of a 28