SECTOR 1 Entry into the profession of journalism is free. ‘Too free in fact, that journalists complain that too many people enter the field without qualification,’ one panellist noted. Journalists are required to register to obtain press cards – this is often just a formality. 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: ✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓ 2.8 (2015: 2.4, 2012: n/a, 2010: n/a, 2008: n/a, 2006: n/a) 1.4 The government makes every effort to honour regional and international instruments on freedom of expression and freedom of the media Lesotho ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1992 and is a signatory to other international and regional instruments to protect freedom of expression and human rights, such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981), the International Covenant of Political and Civil Rights (1966) and the African Declaration of Principles for Freedom of Expression (2002). While the government has ratified these declarations, the challenge lies in how these are applied domestically. ‘Our government is very good at ratifying [international instruments] but does not domesticate [them].’ Many people in the country are not aware of which treaties and declarations Lesotho’s government has signed. In addition, there is no monitoring of how signed treaties are implemented. ‘Reporting on treaties is very poor. The systems are very loose, and the citizens don’t make our executives accountable.’ ‘These treaties are not subjected to parliamentary processes as done in South Africa.’ 13 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER LESOTHO 2018