SECTOR 1 At the date of publication of this report, the law has not been utilised to block or filter Internet content. 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: ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ 4.3 (2005 = n/a; 2007 = n/a; 2009 = 1.0; 2011 = 3.1; 2014 = 4.1) 1.10 Civil society in general and media lobby groups actively advance the cause of media freedom. Over the past two years, both civil society and media organisations have experienced ‘serious problems.’ In fact, civil society has been through a turbulent period in the last 10 years. The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has just been ‘resuscitated’ while the Press Council for Botswana has collapsed. The Radio Broadcasters Association and other organisations exist but are barely functional. In general, civil society groups across the board are incapacitated and unable to advance their causes due to a restrictive environment and the lack of funding. Only a few trade union organisations and civil society groups focussing on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and Intersex (LGBTQI) or Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) issues have been able to maintain a degree of activeness. Despite this disintegration of civil society, there were occasions where ‘people stood up’ for media freedom. When homophobic United States (US) Pastor Steven Anderson proclaimed that all homosexuals should be killed during a morning chat show on the privatelyowned radio station Gabz FM, there was quite a backlash. The public called for a wide-ranging boycott on the radio station. According to panellists, the outrage was partly due to the suspicion that content and opinion on several of the radio station’s programmes, especially the morning show, were influenced by people outside the radio station and working in government. Gabz FM had to prove that it was not partisan and that their management and programming was not influenced by the ruling party. The public announcement made by opposition parties, trade unions and civil society organisations (CSOs) of their decision to boycott the radio station on the grounds that they could not support a ‘biased’ media outlet was regarded as activism for the advancement of the freedom and independence of the media. 20 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BOTSWANA 2018