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: 2.5 (2008 = 3.9; 2006 = 3.0) 3.10 The state/public broadcaster offers balanced and fair information in news and current affairs, reflecting the full spectrum of diverse views and opinions. Although SABC television news has capable reporters, they do not have the edge on hard news. Quality of news is inconsistent: sometimes bulletins can be brilliant, but more often they are poor. This indicates a lack of generally agreed standards and supervision to ensure that these are upheld. More and more the emphasis seems to be on “developmental news”, celebrating achievements in the fight against poverty. Stories on government corruption are rare and “bad news” is the exception rather than the rule. There is often insufficient context and background and not infrequently the angle taken is peculiar and misses the nub of a story. News judgement in terms of placement and relevance for a national bulletin is patchy. Stories on press conferences by government spokespeople in the capital are often placed more prominently than, say, a traffic accident in the provinces with a dozen casualties. Despite clear managerial shortcomings, a surprisingly large number of journalists at SABC still seem to be trying their level best to produce news which is credible and fair. This goes especially for radio. The coverage of international events on television is deplorable, in particular with regard to “fellow African” countries on the continent which are supposed to be given special attention. When Kenya, for example, celebrated a highly successful and peaceful referendum on a new constitution, the story did not even rate a mention in the main English SABC TV news of the day - viewers had to tune in to international stations to get information on this story. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER SOUTH AFRICA 2010 53