SECTOR 4 Some panellists were concerned that only those who have direct access to journalists and the media laid complaints with the Press Council. ‘These regulatory processes are being accessed mostly by the elite and the powerful.’ The Press Council’s code was criticised for not including issues of sexual orientation and for its public and press representatives being mostly male with too few women. It was felt that more people were aware of the existence of the BCCSA, than the Press Council, as broadcasters announce the BCCSA on air. ‘The Press Council needs to be better marketed.’ 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: ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ 4.3 (2013: 3.9; 2010: 3.1; 2008: 4.2; 2006: 4.2) 4.3 Salary levels and general working conditions, including safety, for journalists and other media practitioners are adequate Working conditions of journalists are generally considered to be poor and their salaries low. These issues were seen to have a direct impact on the professionalisation of the media. ‘General working conditions and journalists’ safety is not in a good state. We live in a very violent country and journalists are not adequately trained to go into violent situations.’ Journalists at some media houses are also not given proper counselling following harrowing work-related incidents, such as with the case of the young journalist from Port Elizabeth who wrote about a man who threw his one-year-old baby off the roof of a shack during a demolition. She was allegedly severely traumatised. It was noted, however, that some newsrooms did offer counselling to help journalists deal with difficult situations and to protect their mental health. Newsrooms also largely do not have systems in place to deal with unsafe situations for their staff, as was evident in March 2018 during the North-West 51 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER SOUTH AFRICA 2018