SECTOR 2 The media landscape, including new media, is characterised by diversity, independence and sustainability. 2.1 A wide range of sources of information (print, broadcasting, Internet) is available and affordable to citizens. Print There are two daily newspapers, both publish in English. The Times of Swaziland with a print run of 31 000 and readership of 150 000 (audited by ABC) has a cover price of E3.50 (US$ 0.50). Its owner is Paul Loffler, a British citizen who - unlike other investors in the country – has to apply for a work and residence permit each year. The Swazi Observer is owned by Tibiyo Taka Ngwane (‘wealth of the nation’), a holding company controlled by the King in trust of the Swazi nation. The paper has a print run of 10 000, a readership of 70 000 (not audited) and a cover price of E3.50 (US$ 0.50). Both papers have weekend editions: the Times on Sunday costs E5.00 (US$ 0.72) per copy and has a print run of 25 000; the Weekend Observer has the same cover price and comes out on Saturdays with a print run of 11 000. There are three more privately owned weeklies: Vuka Ngwane, a SiSwati periodical, Ingwazi News (which “publishes infrequently”) and Swazi Mirror, both publishing in English. The Nation is a private monthly magazine that costs E15.95 (US$ 2.30) per copy. Panellists considered the price of most newspapers to be “affordable” when compared with the cost of a loaf of bread (E8.00 / US$ 1.16). However, the cover price of the monthly The Nation magazine was considered high. In the current economic climate, newspaper readers are struggling to buy both daily newspapers, as has been their habit until recently. This is making the newspaper market increasingly competitive. The government has stopped publishing its weekly Swaziland Today and is planning to move the title on-line to save costs. All major South African publications are distributed in Swaziland. The Swazi Media Audience Measurement Survey3, published in 2005, suggested that newspaper readership in Swaziland is relatively high, with 75 per cent of respondents then found to have read one or more newspapers per week. Local 3 www.infoshopswaziland.com/swazi_mams/swazi_media_audience_measurement_sur vey.htm 28 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER SWAZILAND 2011