CHAPTER 5: SIGNIFICANT THEMES 2018 AMB Positive developments highlighted in this AMB included increased coverage of women’s issues, the expansion of digital media, and improved tolerance of public broadcast media. Negative developments included the deteriorating political situation, increased hate speech, and media sustainability issues. It recommended lobbying for a code of ethics, media reforms that tackled media sustainability and improving journalists’ working conditions. A notable omission in this AMB was access to information legislation, a persistent issue in previous reports. Côte d’Ivoire 2012 AMB This AMB highlighted developments such as the announced intention to privatise state media, allocation of funds for media development, tax and customs exemptions for the media and strengthened support for media businesses. Recommendations focused on seeing the privatisation of state media through, establishing a collective bargaining platform to review journalists’ working conditions, and setting the criteria for assessing eligibility for media development funding. 2016 AMB A significant number of positive developments were highlighted in this AMB, including the introduction of a law on access to information; the regulation of economic governance of print media; the commencement of the liberalisation of the televisual sector; the beginning of the revision process of the law on the press, Law No. 2004-643; and the migration from analogue to digital. The negative developments mainly covered media inaccessibility to the public due to high costs, and sustainability issues due to decreasing revenues. Recommendations focused on advocating for the revision of the press law of 2004, discussion of the role of public or state media, more consideration of gender issues, and the need to determine a statute for community radio personnel and correspondents of private press. Democratic Republic of Congo 2012 AMB Positive developments highlighted in this AMB included an improved framework for regulating broadcasting; enhanced implementation of a code of ethics; the adoption of a collective bargaining framework; the establishment of several 25 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER 11 YEARS IN REVIEW