SECTOR 4 The media practise high levels of professional standards. 4.1 The media follow voluntary codes of professional standards, which are enforced by self-regulatory bodies that deal with complaints from the public. Analysis: In the past two years, serious and promising new efforts have been undertaken to establish a self-regulatory body for the media. The Namibian Editors’ Forum (NEF) and the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) have been working to establish a body to deal with complaints from the public against the media. A previous attempt in 2002 to introduce a code of ethics and a self-regulatory mechanism failed because the media at the time were highly polarised and editors were reluctant to come together and discuss the establishment of a media council. Another obstacle was the fact that the process was being driven by MISA Namibia, regarded by the state-owned media as generally antagonistic towards the government. This time around there is considerable ‘buy in’ by all sectors of the media, be they state or privately owned. The new driving force is the Namibian Editors’ Forum, formed in June 2007, which has active members from the mainstream print and broadcast media, including NBC TV, New Era, Republikein, Allgemeine Zeitung, The Namibian and commercial radio stations, among others. In November 2007, the SWAPO Congress passed a resolution calling for government to establish a media council to regulate the activities and operations of the media. This threat of a statutory media council being instituted may have galvanised the media into action to form an independent, self-regulatory body. The complaints mechanism will work as follows: When members of the public are aggrieved by something that has been broadcast or published in the media, they will be able to approach a Media Ombudsman, who will inform the parties involved and call them together. If the Media Ombudsman is unable to resolve the matter, it will go before the Media Complaints Committee, which comprises the Ombudsman plus two members of a panel established by public invitation. If one of the parties in not happy with the outcome, there will be an appeal provision involving a retired judge. 58 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NAMIBIA 2009