SECTOR 2 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: 4.4 (2009: 3.2; 2007: 2.5; 2005: 2.6) 2.4 The editorial independence of print media published by a public authority is protected adequately against undue political interference. Because Tibiyo Taka Ngwane, the company that publishes the Swazi Observer, is a royal conglomerate held in trust by the King who also heads the company, the newspaper is to be seen as a “print media published by a public authority”. The King has told the journalists at the paper to “write as though you are part of the Tibiyo Taka Ngwane family”. The Observer’s editorial policy says that the only people the paper’s journalists cannot write about in a bad light are the King – the paper’s de facto owner - and the Queen Mother. The King appoints the paper’s chief editor who “advises” the editor on “matters to do with the King and the Queen Mother” and ensures that the company’s policy is followed. “What has shifted is the attitude of the editors. Previous editors were too scared to touch certain things.” Recently, the Prime Minister complained to the King that the paper was writing about him (the Prime Minister) in a bad light, but the paper maintains that this is not in breach of its editorial policy. “What has shifted is the attitude of the editors. Previous editors were too scared to touch certain things. Government was a no-go area. No one dared to cross the line.” However, no one questioned the paper the moment it did cross that line. Quite the opposite: board members applauded the paper for doing its job. In this respect, the paper’s editorial policy has provided journalists with some protection. “It is interesting to watch the Observer and how it goes through ups and downs in terms of political issues. If a prime minister can question an angle of a story, for 32 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER SWAZILAND 2011