Allowing corruption to continue unchecked amongst the political elites and beneficiaries has resulted in intimidation, threats and litigation against journalists working on investigative stories. Besides the climate of fear, newsrooms are politicised to such an extent that media houses are openly declaring alignment to specific political parties. This partisanship is also apparent in the civic space, where public discourse is divided along party lines. This division is so extensive that lack of open support for a party is automatically understood as support for an opposing party. Media diversity, particularly in the broadcasting sector in Botswana, is hampered by its laws. The abolished Broadcasting Act of 1998 allowed for three tiers of broadcasting: private, public and community broadcasters. Conversely, the new framework under the Communications Regulatory Act of 2012, which establishes the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), only allows for two types of broadcasters: commercial broadcasters and state broadcasters. Community broadcasting is glaringly absent. The biggest threats to media platform sustainability, and in turn, diversity, are deteriorating professional standards and reduced advertising spending – both of which are pitted against Botswana’s declining economy. Media newsrooms are understaffed and under-resourced with a direct impact on the quality of reporting. Experienced media practitioners are overlooked for senior positions and are being replaced by less experienced staff with lower salary demands. Of particular concern is the diminishing audience for media products. In spite of Botswana’s reputation as a financial powerhouse on the African continent, the rate of unemployment is steadily increasing while the job market shrinks. These factors culminate into a more discerning public audience which, due to financial reasons, are turning to more accessible media platforms. The average cost of a newspaper is 10 Pula (BWP) (1 USD) while a loaf of bread costs between 5 and 10 BWP (between 0.50-1 USD), making public print media unaffordable for many. Radio has the highest reach and is the most accessible media platform for the majority of citizens. The circulation of privately-owned weekly newspapers ‘has gone terribly...’, averaging a print-run of 15,000 print copies with The Voice leading with a printrun of around 20,000. Newspapers are almost exclusively available in English and in urban areas, with their accessibility to the wider public outside these domains limited. It may take up to a day after the publication date of a newspaper for it to arrive in areas as little as 40 kilometres (km) from the capital. ‘Even the distribution network had to be cut down because of the expenses...’ The ability to address critical issues of national concern for members of the media is made more difficult by the lack of cohesion. The inability to form professional media lobby associations due to a variety of factors makes a concerted effort to address issues of poor working conditions and declining professional and ethical standards very difficult; the media sector is grappling to survive. 6 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER BOTSWANA 2018