Despite these legal impediments, Namibia is ranked as Number One by Freedom House, on the continent in terms of media freedom, with journalists going about their work freely without intimidation, threats or arrest. The country boasts a broad cross-section of media with five daily papers, several periodicals, two commercial television stations, one religious television channel and seven commercial radio stations. The NBC operates ten radio stations and one television station. Community broadcasting is the only media sector that could be considered underdeveloped. Despite the noted diversity, however, issues that affect the daily lives of citizens are sidelined as the news tends to be dominated by politics. Consumers believe that coverage of issues is usually a reaction to statements and events and that “the media is never really trying to do something new. There is variety but no depth.” Business, economics and analytical reporting were highlighted as areas that are being neglected by the media. Only NBC TV’s ‘Open File’ programme and Insight magazine try to do investigative stories. Media houses need to give journalists the time to investigate stories. The quality of journalism came under fire, with the media being criticized for their biased perspective on news, inaccuracies in stories and the lack of fairness. It is anticipated that these issues will be addressed by in-house training initiatives within certain media institutions, as well as by the establishment of the Media Ombudsman’s office, in line with international practices. The office of the Media Ombudsman was set up in 2009 with support from the Editors Forum of Namibia. In holding the media accountable in terms of the basic principles of good journalistic practice, the public can now initiate formal complaints against the media without having to go to court, which is prohibitively expensive for most people. The Media Ombudsman makes rulings according to a code of ethics that the media sign on to and apply voluntarily. Namibians are vocal on a variety of issues but this is often dependent on their geographical location, cultural norms, the subject matter they are discussing and the medium through which they are communicating. Platforms such as ‘Free Your Mind’, ‘Spoken Word’, ‘Young Achievers’ and ‘Physically Active Youth’ are extremely popular with urban youth, as platforms to speak out on issues that directly affect them. These include concerns such as the lack of job opportunities and the need for recreational activities. Rural youth are less vocal than their urban peers, and would be hesitant to be as vocal even if they were afforded the same opportunities. One reason for this is that they are expected to respect their elders and not speak out against authority. 6 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NAMIBIA 2011