SECTOR 4 Headlines in the mainstream media are often “more extreme, sensational and misleading” than the actual report. Inaccurate translations from Oshiwambo to English in The Namibian result in important elements of the report being excluded. On the whole, the fact that few corrections appear in the mainstream press may be an indication that the print media is reporting “fairly and accurately”. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country minimally meets aspects of the indicator. 3 Country meets many aspects of indicator but progress may be too recent to judge. 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator. 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator and has been doing so over time. Average score: 3.3 (2005 = 3.0; 2007 = 3.6) 4.3 The media cover the full spectrum of events, issues and cultures, including business / economics, cultural, local and investigative stories. Analysis: The media in general – private, state, broadcasting and print – do attempt to cover a range of stories. However, there is a serious lack of investigative reporting and insufficient analysis on pertinent issues, and the media need to invest more in acquiring these specialised skills. The news tends to be very urban (Windhoek) based, possibly due to financial constraints, with rural areas largely missing out on coverage. Nineteen years after independence, there is still a racial and ethnic imbalance evident in the media, with the murder of a white person in Windhoek, for example, receiving front-page coverage, while many black victims from outlying areas are written about briefly with hardly any detail and such stories being positioned much deeper into the newspaper. 60 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NAMIBIA 2009