SECTOR 4 There is also the Writers’ Association of Botswana (WABO), which has a broader scope encompassing all literary writers. A lack of financial resources has incapacitated these associations and organisations. Additionally, fragmentation among media professionals is prevalent, ‘there is no activism culture in Botswana and we no longer have target goals.’ All these points feed into an environment in which the media fraternity is unable to effectively and cohesively represent its interests. 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: ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓ 2.2 (2005 = 3.6; 2007 = 4.3; 2009 = 2.6; 2011 = 1.3; 2014 = 2.4) 4.5 Journalists and media houses have integrity and are not corrupt. ‘I wish to say we are 100% clean, but we are not. We are starting to hear that a lot of our journalists are being compromised. There are allegations that several journalists are allegedly partisan and active at political level.’ ‘Intimidation [of political factions and opposition parties] now plays out in the mainstream media, so you can see which newspaper leadership belongs to which political party.’ ‘When people are not paid decent[ly] they become vulnerable; or when people are not sure when they will be paid and someone comes with an envelope [of money], they are more likely to take bribes.’ Occasionally, there are allegations of journalists being paid by the DISS to influence editorial content and for the purpose of surveillance. ‘When you talk money trails with DISS and media people involved, proving any misconduct is close to impossible.’ ‘Sometimes even managers within the newsrooms are involved...then it becomes quite problematic to hold anyone to account.’ In 2014, there was a case where integrity was compromised by a very powerful force in the private sector. Mmegi newspaper carried out a successful investigation 54 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BOTSWANA 2018