SECTOR 4 4.7 Media professionals have access to training facili-ties offering formal qualification programmes as well as opportunities to upgrade skills. The Department of Media Studies opened its doors at the University of Antananarivo in 2012. There are numerous media training institutions (ESSVA, SAMIS-ESIC, etc.). Certain programmes focus heavily on communication. Others are currently working on establishing a common curriculum. This project, which is in its accreditation phase, already has to answer to questions of conformity and infrastructure. Other institutions, according to the panel, ignore the needs of media enterprises. Recognition of these training programmes is obtained from the State. In principle, the State, prior to awarding recognition or accreditation, evaluates them according to certain criteria. Ultimately, these accreditations seem to be awarded without the necessary reflection, or at best, are comparable to French and Anglo-Saxon models that are not necessarily compatible with the needs of the Malagasy media sector. Within this context, it seems quite pertinent that a platform be created, listing the various training programmes on offer in order to choose and normalise training. It is estimated that 80% of journalists have not followed any formal journalistic training. They trained themselves on the job, with nevertheless, a university education in other disciplines such as law, history, economics etc. Another category of young journalists come straight from an honours degree in communication but it turns out that these candidates are often less operational in the milieu of journalism, because their course is built solely upon communication, without affording them the necessary intellectual tools. They require more time to adapt to their work environment as well as their integration within the team. Some thematic and continuous training is offered by international organisations such as the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Unicef, PNUD on specific themes: public health, elections, education, good governance etc. The Malagasy Press Centre also seeks to provide training and capacity building sessions for journalists. However, journalists themselves hamper the initiative through their reluctance. As for the Express the Madagascar, they would like to launch a journalism apprenticeship centre in support of the acquired theoretical training and to create a pool of journalists for the entire profession. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER MADAGASCAR 2016 103