SECTOR 4 There is a gap between the training provided at tertiary institutions and the needs of newsrooms; which needs to be addressed. Private media houses do not usually sponsor their employees in taking up formal educational courses. There is also a tendency for media practitioners who have worked in the industry for some time to take up courses outside the media sector, such as strategic management, public administration or a Masters of Business Administration (MBA). ‘Attempts have been made to establish evening media courses or offer attachments but the uptake has been little, so why make the effort.’ ‘The newly established BA ISAGO University engaged media leaders on developing short courses and the process is ongoing.’ The Botswana Qualification’s Authority (BQA) encourages workplace training which could be taken up by publishers. Whatever internal courses media houses plan to offer need to be accredited and paid for upfront, while a refund from the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) can be claimed afterwards. ‘The challenge is that you have to pay a levy as an institution to be able to benefit from the grant. Both the upfront payment and the levy are not feasible options for struggling media houses.’ 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: ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ 2.4 (2005 = 4.0; 2007 = 3.8; 2009 =3.2; 2011 = 2.3; 2014 = 2.7) 4.8 Equal opportunities regardless of race or ethnicity, social group, gender/sex, religion, disabilities and age are promoted in media houses. Generally, inclusivity is not on the agenda of most media houses. ‘I don’t think there is a conscious effort...maybe apart from gender, to diversify media houses. Only a few individuals in the media industry will go out of their way to increasingly offer equal opportunities.’ 58 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BOTSWANA 2018