SECTOR 3

“Sometimes
state media
journalists have
good intentions,
...but you can’t
strike your
stomach.”

BTV news was reportedly given an instruction from State
House last year (2010) to cover only the president and the vice
president as “they talk about issues of national interest”.
“Sometimes state media journalists have good intentions, as it is
traumatising from the inside, but you can’t strike your stomach.”
This has led to a general lack of confidence by Batswana in the
state broadcaster, resulting in a lot of people not watching or
listening to these services.
This deteriorating situation, began with the Media Practitioner’s
Bill, passed in 2008.

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:

1.0 (2005 = 2.6; 2007 = 2.6; 2009 = 1.2)

3.11 The state/public broadcaster offers as much
diverse and creative local content as economically
achievable.
The quota for different programming by the state broadcaster is reportedly as
follows:
•
•

For BTV, there is 20 percent local news, 30 percent local programming, 10
percent local interviews and 40 percent foreign programming.
For Radio Botswana 1, there is more local content with 60 percent local news,
20 percent local programmes, 10 percent local interviews and 10 percent
foreign programming.

The commercially run Radio Botswana 2 is described as “100 percent local content,
through a 100 percent American perspective”.

48

AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BOTSWANA 2011

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