SECTOR 3 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. Article 24 paragraph 2 of the Constitution of 18 February 2006 stipulates, “State-owned audiovisual and print media are public services. Access to these is guaranteed in an equitable way, to all shades of political and social persuasion. The status of state-run media is set out by the law, which guarantees objectivity, impartiality and the pluralism of opinions in the way information is treated and disseminated.” In practise, it cannot be said that information circulated by RTNC is balanced, seeing that it is partisan information even if its accuracy is unquestionable. The dominance of partisan political information notably, induces discrimination of certain opposing points of view. The RTNC hence rarely reflects – through the content it disseminates – the various points of view to be found in the Congolese public sphere. 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: 1.6 3.11 The state/public broadcaster offers as much diverse and creative local content as economically achievable. The RTNC indeed broadcasts local and diverse content through its cultural programmes. It also broadcasts Congolese music. But criticisms that have been levelled towards it have targeted its treatment of local information and news, political information and the production of attractive local programmes. 108 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER Democratic Republic of Congo