SECTOR 4

Almost all the main bodies of media in the country are voluntarily members of these
instruments, but the monitoring thereof is not effective. From the point of view of
self-regulation, there is no mechancism, let alone a functional one, which handles
public claims.
The country also has the Superior Council for the Media (CSCS), which is a State
institution and not self-regulated by journalists. The CSCS, which many would
believe supports the accreditation of journalism, the defense of freedom of
the press, the right to information and freedom of exrpession, is almost absent
from the media environment, particularly with regard to citizenry. The few times
it has got involved, almost always on political matters, it does so with partiality
and superficially. Its own composition is problematic, since some of its members
are clearly in a situation of conflict of interest as, at the same time, they are top
managers of public media bodies.
So one is left with the feeling that, faced with a surge in the public media body,
the members of the CSCS were ‘elected’, between themselves without however,
stepping down from their position [as members of the CSCS], after being ‘elected’.
As a quasi-legal institution, the CSCS would bring added value to the landscape of
Mozambican media.

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:

2.1 (2005 = 2.3; 2007 = 3.0; 		
2009 = 2.7; 2011 = 2.7)

4.3 Salary levels and general working conditions, including safety, for journalists and other media practitioners are adequate.
Compared with the general situation in the country, or with the minimum salary
for public office and the basic food basket, the situation of journalists and other
professionals in media is not bad. That of public media bodies, including the
publications of the Sociedade do Notícias (Notícias, Domingo e Desafio), is
particularly reasonable. Public sector media need better company management,

AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER MOZAMBIQUE 2014

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