Swaziland
Sector 4:
4.1

The media practice high levels of professional
standards.

The media follow voluntary codes of professional
standards, which are enforced by self-regulatory bodies.

ANALYSIS:
The media has adopted a code of ethics developed by the Swaziland
National Association of Journalists (SNAJ), but there are no selfregulatory bodies to monitor adherence and awareness and understanding of the code in newsrooms is scant.
Efforts to establish a self-regulatory mechanism for the print media were kick-started 10 years ago, but there is still no functioning
complaints commission.
The fifth attempt to launch the Media Complaints Commission (MCC)
was carried out early in 2007 after the media categorically rejected
the government’s Media Commission Draft Bill 2007. The bill is the
government’s second attempt to introduce statutory regulation.
Failure to establish the MCC in the past was partly due to a lack of
commitment from the broadcasters who were insisting on a separate regulatory body. Now that the government has drafted legislation to establish an independent broadcasting regulator, the MCC is
to go ahead as a print media regulator only.
MISA Swaziland and SNAJ are driving the process of making the MCC
operational. They are currently involved in registering the MCC as a
company, securing funding to cover administrative costs and identifying five commissioners. Both national newspapers, Times of Swaziland and Swazi Observer, have indicated their support and are
willing to make a financial commitment, although the Observer is
awaiting confirmation of legal registration and a draft budget be34

African Media Barometer - Swaziland 2007

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