African Media Barometer Botswana 2014 Summary Botswana has consistently ranked highly on global democracy indices. Stable and able to hold periodic free and fair elections that are widely endorsed, the country presents the model picture for the continent, of a democracy at work. However, if democracy depends on a free, diverse, plural and independent media, then Botswana is no model, and dark clouds hang over the industry and country. Growing involvement and influence of government intelligence agencies, especially the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS), in various aspects of media in Botswana – online and offline – is cause for concern. Alongside South Africa, Botswana is one of the countries known in recent times to have requested user data from global technology company, Facebook. Journalists and other media practitioners have also reported suspected phone tapping and other communication surveillance, courtesy of the DIS. Newsrooms have been turned from being bastions of freedom of expression to closed and tension-filled spaces dominated by fear and suspicion of infiltration. This comes as no surprise though. New communication technology tools, collectively branded new media, have been hailed as having a positive impact on the way journalists conduct their work, gathering and disseminating information in ways previously impossible. To paranoid governments, however, this has created an opportunity for digital (covert) surveillance of those deemed to be anti-establishment. This means journalists no longer have to be beaten to a pulp for the State to put its point across. On the contrary, it means the State now has the ability to retreat into an invisible space, illicitly penetrate a journalist’s public and private being, and prevent them from doing their work. The situation is even worse offline. A vast network of security operatives is making it virtually impossible for journalists, and citizens at large, to freely express themselves in the country. The government is said to have ears and eyes across the country and one never really knows whether or not the next person is a spy. This is because the consequences for publicly expressing dissenting views – or indeed what authorities interpret as dissenting views – can be harsh and severe, as one citizen found out in the aftermath of commentary made on President Ian Khama’s accident involving a cheetah. Weak media - civil society relations have meant that these issues are either not being articulated enough to warrant substantive action, or tactical and strategic alliances on particular advocacy points and such are difficult to identify, AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER Botswana 2014 7