SECTOR 4 (254 USD) and N$5,000 (424 USD)13 per month. Generally, senior reporters earn around N$18,000, while editors earn between N$27,000 (2,287 USD) to N$30,000 (2,541 USD) per month. Namibia Media Holdings pays its employees according to the Patterson Scale. The Namibian newspaper makes a 100% contribution towards the medical aid of its employees. In general, many journalists work on a freelance basis, hence not qualifying for benefits or social security covered by the employer. When a Deputy Editor at the Villager newspaper returned from maternity leave, for instance, her job was gone. In the words of one panellist, “It’s dog eat dog”. Journalists often end up moving to the PR sector instead. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 1.9 (2005: n/a; 2007: n/a; 2009: 3.0; 2011: 2.5) 4.4 Journalists and other media practitioners are organised in trade unions and/or professional associations, which effectively represent their interests. Public sector journalists fall under the Namibian Public Worker’s Union (NAPWU). Independent journalists would probably not want to join NAPWU even if they could, so as not to compromise their impartiality. NAPWU is an affiliate of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), which has association with the ruling party. Aside from this, there are no journalist associations or unions, and journalists are very vulnerable in that regard. “If they have issues, where could they go with their issues?” was the question posed by a member of the panel. 13 1 N$= 0.08470 US$ 58 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NAMIBIA 2015