Media code of ethics updated

The Editors Forum of Namibia's code of ethics was relaunched on Thursday as the country continues to grapple with concerns over media freedom. Legalbrief reports that President Hage Geingob was among the delegates at the ceremony in Windhoek. Geingob and Information Minister Tjekero Tweya are among those blamed for the country's slip in an index of African press freedom (from 17 to 24). The Namibian Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) has accused senior politicians of targeting journalists over the past year. Government's intentions to prioritise state-owned media was also singled out by Misa as factors which possibly impacted negatively on the media landscape. The code of ethics forms part of the forum's constitution, and was amended to include various requirements about reporting on elections, as well as additional elements as stipulated under the Communications Act.