SECTOR 2 incrementally, starting with government departments, followed by parastatals and companies affiliated with the government, to private corporations who withheld their advertisements from publications regarded as ‘no-go’ areas. The fact that one can place advertisements in state-media outlets for free suppresses competition and distorts the market. Big private advertisers also occasionally attempt to influence editorial content: the supermarket chain Choppies used to advertise in Mmegi newspaper. Once the newspaper ran an exposé on the alleged sale of expired products whose expiry dates had been changed, Choppies has not advertised in Mmegi again. ‘Newspapers themselves’ make the decision to not publish a story that may cause the withdrawal of a major advertiser; ‘there is the reporting side and there is the business side.’ Decisions on advertisement spending and placement are made outside the country by several companies based in Botswana and headquartered in South Africa. This has a huge and fairly negative impact on the local media industry. The new Botswana based TV channel, Maru TV (broadcasting on DStv), is attempting to tap into a new market and attract novel advertisers with its regional focus; the future will show whether this concept will be successful. Scores: Individual scores:24 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: 2 (2005 = 3.0; 2007 = 3.8; 2009 = 1.6; 2011 = 2.5; 2014 = 2.4) Overall score for sector 2: 2.7 24 A panellist expressed the following reservations: the scoring system did not allow room to include one’s uncertainty about whether some of the statement made were factual. Under this indicator the panellist felt uncertain about whether there had been a government directive to discontinue advertising in public media outlets. Note: All panellists are advised to score according to their personal opinion and knowledge following the discussion of each indicator. 38 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BOTSWANA 2018