BTV Fails The People:

an analysis of

Botswana Television News

By Richard Rooney

Paper presented at a research seminar, Media Studies Department,

University of Botswana, Gaborone, 20 March 2014

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BTV Fails The People: an analysis of Botswana Television News

By Richard Rooney

Abstract

The Botswana Government, through a number of its departments and the Office of the

President, has since the station’s launch in the year 2000 identified a number of aims for the

station’s news programming. These include the necessity to inform people about events

within and outside the country, to interpret such events and whenever possible suggest

appropriate approaches to them and to do this by providing balanced, credible and

professionally-tailored programmes containing fair and balanced reporting. It must do this

while also promoting the policies of the Botswana Government.No substantial research has

been undertaken into the programming at BTV (news or otherwise) and this research paper

begins to fill the gap in our knowledge. It sets out to answer three broad research questions:

(i) what are the self-defined aims of BTV News?; (ii) to what extent are these aims being met

through the station’s news bulletins?; and (iii) how well does BTV fit the model of public

service broadcasting?

To answer these questions a survey was made of material published by BTV and Botswana

Government departments to establish what its aims are. Once the ‘model’ for news

programming was established a content analysis of 14 news bulletins was undertaken to

ascertain (i) the kind of items that were being broadcast and (ii) the sources journalists used

in their reports.

The BTV aims were interrogated by the data from the content analysis and it was concluded

that most aims were not met.

This is followed by a discussion identifying the main characteristics of public service

broadcasting (PSB) in which it is concluded that BTV is not a PSB broadcaster.

Key words: Botswana television, BTV, television, democracy, public service broadcasting

Introduction

In theory, news on television can give space to people who do not have a place to air their

views. But for this to work the reports that appear on television need to be of high quality,

relevant and useful to the audience. Television needs to allow the expression of a full range

of opinions and matters of public concern. This paper explores the extent to which Botswana

Television (BTV) allows this to happen

BTV is the main television channel in Botswana and is the only one that broadcasts local

news to the population of the country. It is owned and controlled by the state (Balule, 2013,

pp.86-87).

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The Botswana Government, through a number of its departments and the Office of the

President, has since the station’s launch in the year 2000 identified a number of aims for the

station’s news programming. These include the necessity to inform people about events

within and outside the country, to interpret such events and whenever possible suggest

appropriate approaches to them and to do this by providing balanced, credible and

professionally-tailored programmes containing fair and balanced reporting. It must do this

while also promoting the policies of the Botswana Government.

No substantial research has been undertaken into the programming at BTV (news or

otherwise) and this research paper begins to fill the gap in our knowledge. It sets out to

answer three broad research questions: (i) what are the self-defined aims of BTV News?; (ii)

to what extent are these aims being met through the station’s news bulletins?; and (iii) how

well does BTV fit the model of public service broadcasting?

To answer these questions a survey was made of material published by BTV and Botswana

Government departments to establish what its aims are. Once the ‘model’ for news

programming was established a content analysis of 14 news bulletins was undertaken to

ascertain (i) the kind of items that were being broadcast and (ii) the sources journalists used

in their reports.

The BTV aims were interrogated by the data from the content analysis and it was concluded

that most aims were not met.

This is followed by a discussion identifying the main characteristics of public service

broadcasting (PSB) in which it is concluded that BTV is not a PSB broadcaster.

Media landscape in Botswana

BTV is the largest television station in the country, but it does not transmit across the whole

nation, reaching only about 40 percent of the population. BTV is also available via the

satellite subscription services, DSTV, and can thus theoretically be accessed by viewers with

a satellite dish and DSTV decoder throughout the country (African Media Barometer, 2011,

pp.46-47).

The only other free-to-air television station, eBotswana, a relation of e.tv in South Africa, is

broadcast in the capital city, Gaborone and the surrounding area. eBotswana, previously the

Gaborone Broadcasting Company, relaunched in 2010 and now states its “vision” is to be

“the television channel of choice as well as the best source of entertainment in the country”

(eBotswana website).

Its schedule is dominated by foreign programming , which it says includes, “Hollywood

blockbuster movies that have proven to be a major hit amongst our viewers”. However, to

“grow and nurture local talent”, eBotswana has also produced local shows, “not only serve to

provide viewers with locally produced programs but also helps empower the Botswana

Television Industry” (ibid).

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Although the media landscape is dominated by government–controlled media in both print

and broadcasting, there are significant numbers of private media, especially in the print

sector, with a reasonable degree of diversity and independence (Rooney, 2012; Fombad 2011,

p.18).

In the broadcasting sector there are two state-owned national radio stations; three national

privately-owned and eight foreign stations in Botswana (IREX 2010).

Botswana TV: its aims as seen by itself and the government

The purpose of this research paper is to examine BTV’s stated aims on news and current

affairs programming and to examine empirically the product the station actually broadcasts.

In this way it will be possible to come to a conclusion about how well BTV is meeting its

aims.

BTV and Radio Botswana 1 and 2 are run as government departments, within the Office of

the President, with staff hired by the Directorate of Public Service Management, as is the case

with all government employees. Therefore, the state broadcaster is not accountable to the

public (African Media Barometer, 2011, pp.43-44).

This means, according to the African Media Barometer, that in effect BTV is run as an organ

of the government and there is no legislation to guarantee the station’s editorial independence

from political influence.

Before coming under the present Department of Broadcasting Services, which is a division of

the Office of the President, BTV was part of the Department of Information and Broadcasting

(DIB). The aims of the station date from the days of DIB. The DIB said the station

committed itself to provide at least 60 percent local content to meet the diverse needs of

Batswana (the people of Botswana) According to its guiding principles, the station was

upbeat and forward looking, and sought to align its strategy with the national vision, Vision

2016 (see below). It recognized that the majority of Batswana were young people, and that

Botswana had diverse cultural and language groups. It also recognized that Botswana was

part of an integrated global village and had to compete effectively (Dept. of Information and

Broadcasting website).

It also said that the role of the DIB was to use BTV to mobilize Batswana towards national

development, to inform them about events within and outside the country, to interpret such

events and whenever possible suggest appropriate approaches to them. The department also

educates and entertains citizens in accordance with national development goals and interests.

DIB said it executed editorial policy in line with its role as a public service media charged

with the responsibility of promoting policies of the government. “The department is hence,

dedicated to the provision of objective, balanced, credible and professionally-tailored

programmes and publications.”

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The “Standards and Values” of Botswana TV stated that “Botswana TV aspires to produce

work to the highest standards of professionalism. Programmes must be impartial and

informative” (BTV Standards and Values website).

In a seeming contradiction to the DIB’s stated role to “mobilize Batswana towards national

development”, BTV itself regarded its programming policy as “attempt[ing] to cover most

genres, but the emphasis at first must be on sports, news music and talk shows” (ibid).

However, possibly with the department’s mandate of “national development” in mind BTV

stated its task was “to celebrate and develop the civic values that the nation hold common,

while reflecting and enjoying the diversity of culture within Botswana” (ibid).

The commitment of BTV News was stated as “to giving you fair, accurate and balanced

reporting. In line with the country's Vision 2016, BTV News aims at ensuring that Batswana

are properly informed, educated and become innovative”.

It stated, “There is no doubt in our minds that BTV News is perhaps the most watched show

in the station. So to those who wonder about editorial independence and integrity we say,

watch us and judge for yourself for indeed the proof of the pudding is in the eating” (BTV

News Striving for the Truth website).

A statement from the (unnamed) Director Department of Broadcasting that formed the

introductory page to the Botswana TV website appeared to have been written at or about the

time of the station’s launch in 2000. It said the “most basic benefit” in introducing the

nation’s own TV service was that the, “people of Botswana had never really seen themselves

in the manner they perceive themselves” (BTV from the Director website).

From the information supplied on the various webpages we can conclude that according to

BTV’s own interpretation of its aim, the following statements represent the station’s

commitments to news and current affairs programming.

1. News and current affairs are to inform Batswana about events within and outside the

country, to interpret such events and whenever possible suggest appropriate

approaches to them.

2. BTV executes editorial policy in line with its role as a public service media charged

with the responsibility of promoting policies of the government.

3. BTV is dedicated to the provision of objective, balanced, credible and professionally-

tailored programmes.

4. BTV programmes must be impartial and informative.

5. BTV News aims to broadcast “fair, accurate and balanced reporting. In line with the

country’s Vision 2016, BTV News aims at ensuring that Batswana are properly

informed, educated and become innovative”.

Vision 2016

In addition to BTV’s interpretation of its own aims, it is instructive to also consider the

aspirations of the people of Botswana in regard to what the television station might deliver.

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Vision 2016 is a document published as the result of deliberations of a Presidential Task

Force, which started its work in January 1997. The Task Group conducted extensive

consultation with a wide cross-section of individuals and institutions in Botswana. The views

and ideas in Vision 2016 are said to “reflect as closely as possible the aspirations of Batswana

about their long term future” (Vision 2016 website, p.1).

Vision 2016 stated that regarding Botswana’s communication capacity, particularly in the

electronic media, radio and television, Batswana will be informed about the rest of the world.

Vision 2016 aspired that, “all Batswana will have access to the media through national and

local radio, television and newspapers” (Vision 2016 website, p.7).

Vision 2016 predicted, “The society of Botswana by the year 2016 will be free and

democratic, a society where information on the operations of Government, private sector and

other organisations is freely available to all citizens. There will be a culture of transparency

and accountability” (ibid).

Vision 2016 stated, “The challenge is to ensure access of all families to information

technology, television, audio and print media, and to further develop an environment

conducive to the free flow of information among all of the communities of Botswana”

(Vision 2016 website, pp. 17-18).

The African Media Barometer 2011

There is next to no research available regarding audience attitudes to BTV programming. The

only easily-available material was published by the African Media Barometer (AMB) (2011).

AMB describes itself as, “an in-depth and comprehensive description and measurement

system” (African Media Barometer, 2011, p.2). It is an analytical exercise to measure the

media situation in a given country. Every two to three years a panel of 10-12 experts,

consisting of at least five media practitioners and five representatives from civil society,

meets to assess the media situation in their own country.

The AMB confirmed that BTV was a state run and state-controlled broadcaster. AMB

commented, “When the state directs its own organ to do something, it is not seen as

interference. The state is simply operating its own machinery.” State House is known to give

directives to the state broadcaster about what topics to cover and not to cover (African Media

Barometer, 2011, pp.45-46).

The AMB reported it was “common knowledge” that “government can stop or delay the news

bulletin to serve its own interests”, although an advertiser would not have this kind of control.

BTV is funded wholly by a budget drawn from taxpayers. Money made by the broadcaster

through advertising or sponsorship goes directly into state coffers (see also Balule, 2013,

p.91). The state broadcaster does not serve the public interest, but that of the state.

Some AMB panellists felt that the state was not funding the state broadcaster adequately

since BTV, for example, is failing to meet its quota of airing 60 percent local content.

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“As a state broadcaster, its funding is already infiltrated. The state is adequately funding the

state broadcaster, so it has control over it, including its editorial content. This funding does

not protect it from arbitrary political interference” (African Media Barometer, 2011, pp.45-

46).

The AMB reported that state television, BTV, continues to push a very one-sided viewpoint

(that of government/the ruling party) and it has many repeat programmes and not much

diversity. Panellists said BTV’s programming is described by viewers as “boring” and

“lacking in creativity” (African Media Barometer, 2011, p.48).

Some 90 percent of BTV’s local offerings are “talking heads” as the station rarely goes into

the field to interview people. This could be attributed to stifling of programme content in

order to stick to what has been approved and agreed upon prior to airing.

The AMB report said, “People in rural areas and those from low income groups do not watch

BTV because they feel it is not relevant to them.” The news on both state radio and television

is particularly unbalanced and single-sourced (ibid).

Generally, there is little balance in news and current affairs offered by the state radio and

television services, as opposition parties and viewpoints are not given the same platform as

the ruling party, which dominates the airwaves. There is also misleading information and

propaganda broadcast on BTV and RB 1 and 2.

BTV News was reportedly given an instruction from State House in 2010 to cover only the

president and the vice president as, “they talk about issues of national interest” (African

Media Barometer, 2011, p. 49).

“Sometimes state media journalists have good intentions, as it is traumatising from the inside,

but you can’t strike your stomach.”

AMB reported this has led to a general lack of confidence by Batswana in the state

broadcaster, resulting in a lot of people not watching or listening to these services (ibid).

The quota for different programming by BTV is reportedly 20 percent local news, 30 percent

local programming, 10 percent local interviews and 40 percent foreign programming.

There is local content on the national broadcaster, but this is not very diverse or creative,

especially on BTV. The state television service has a budget of P2million to procure local

content, but this is not sufficient and would only pay for two 24-minute programmes, and not,

for example, a 13-episode local series (African Media Barometer, 2011, p.50; see also

Ditlhokwa, 2014).

It is argued that BTV, “was always meant to be a political mouthpiece of the ruling party, for

its own political gain”, and that even if local producers find their own funding, BTV is still

reluctant to air the programmes (African Media Barometer, 2011, p.50).

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Content analysis of bulletins

To examine the contents of BTV News, a total of 14 bulletins were surveyed over a period

starting 6 January 2013 and ending 15 March 2013. The occurrence of “news” is not evenly

spread across the week. For example, law courts and government offices tend not to operate

at weekends and more sporting events take place on Saturday than any other day of the week.

Therefore, one might assume it is less likely that political news will happen and be reported

at the weekend when in turn there will be greater opportunities to report sporting activities on

Saturday and Sunday.

To try to minimise bias due to the uneven spread of news occurrences across the week, the 14

days chosen consisted of two bulletins from each day of the week. A purposive sample was

used in selecting the dates: that is bulletins were chosen at random until the required total was

achieved.

Botswana TV News (English version) runs each day Monday to Sunday and is aired at 20.00

hrs. It is scheduled to fit a 30 minute time slot, but in practice during the survey period the

programme ran for between 20 and 25 minutes. The remaining time in the 30-minute slot was

taken up with advertising and / or previews of forthcoming programmes.

The news bulletin had a set running order that never changed during the research period. It

ran as follows: welcome and news headlines read by announcer; news reports from within

Botswana; foreign news reports; stock market and currency reports (Monday to Friday only);

sports news; closing headlines read by announcer.

The total number of reports broadcast in a bulletin varied between nine and 13. As Table 1

shows, of these the number of news reports from within Botswana ran between three and

seven. In 10 of the 14 bulletins 50 percent or fewer of the items broadcast were from news

reports from Botswana.

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Table 1: Number of news items originating in Botswana

Date (all 2013) No of local

news items

Total No of items

in bulletin

Sun 6 Jan 4 9

Mon 7 Jan 3 10

Tues 8 Jan 6 12

Weds 9 Jan 4 11

Tues 10 Jan 4 11

Fri 11 Jan 5 11

Sat 12 Jan 5 10

Mon 14 Jan 5 11

Sun 20 Jan 4 13

Weds 27 Feb 5 12

Tues 5 Mar 7 11

Thurs 7 Mar 7 11

Sat 9 Mar 7 10

Fri 15 Mar 6 11

TOTALS 72 153

Source: Author

Reports from within Botswana typically consisted of the studio announcer reading an

introduction to the report followed by a reporter (rarely himself or herself seen on camera)

presenting a voice-over report. There was little attempt to present the report visually. A

typical report would consist of a summary of an organised event that took place (for example,

a press conference, a workshop, a commemorative event of some description). Dominant in

the report would be a speaker addressing a gathering through a microphone. The camera

would cut away to faces in the audience from time to time. However, it was obvious that the

cutaways were not contemporaneous; that is the audience were not filmed reacting to the

words spoken to them, the shots appeared to be general footage of the audience that was then

cut into an edited report presumably in an to attempt to add some life to the report.

Other reports that were not from an organised event would typically consist of a person

(usually a spokesperson for a government department or an organisation of some kind)

speaking to camera. Rarely, were there reports that had ordinary people (here defined as

people who did not appear to be speaking on behalf of an organisation) at their centre. During

the research period only eight reports (of a total of 72 from within Botswana) were of this

type.

In all occasions reporters were not shown asking questions. In the case of the public events,

the speaker’s words were shot during their speech to the gathering. No one-on-one interview

between journalist and subject was ever conducted. This was true, even when technical

problems (for example, feedback in the amplifiers) distorted what the speaker was saying to

their audience.

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In this way, reporters never took the opportunity to ask supplementary questions of the

speaker or hold them to account on matters that might have been controversial.

In the times when a person being reported was not at an organised event, but simply speaking

to a camera, no attempt was made to show the involvement of the reporter. It is to be

supposed that the subject was responding to a question from the journalist before making

their response. However, there were no supplementary questions asked by the reporter and

reporter and subject did not engage in dialogue of any sort.

Often, the subject (at organised events or in comments to the camera) spoke in a language

other than English. BTV News made minimal efforts to translate this for an English-only

speaking audience, making it difficult for them to fully understand what was being said in the

report. This could even be the case when the person speaking was an official spokesperson

for government or a business entity and (one supposes) would have been able to give their

comments in English if requested by the reporter.

Foreign news consisted entirely of agency reports. BTV News does not have its own

correspondents outside the country. The studio announcer would read brief reports based on

agency reports and filmed inserts supplied by the agency would be shown.

The Botswana Stock Market and currency report was read out by the announcer. It consisted

entirely of share prices supplied by Botswana Stock Market and foreign currency prices

supplied by the Bank of Botswana. No analysis of the data was given (beyond saying the

prices had moved up or down and by how much). During the whole survey period these

prices consisted of the only news about business that was broadcast, apart from where

businesses were involved in donating to charity or some other “social responsibility” activity.

Sports news consisted of two types: (i) reports on sporting events that had taken place or were

about to take place, and (ii) reports on the activities of sporting organisations.

Some of those sports reports originating from within Botswana were indistinguishable from

the general news from Botswana. For example, during the survey period there were separate

reports about Botswana athletics, football, softball coaching and boxing that were based on

organised events such as press conferences and mainly consisted of officials talking about

some initiative they wished to be publicised.

It was rare to see any action footage of sporting events that had taken place within Botswana.

The exception to this was on one Saturday when footage of that day’s soccer matches was

shown.

The only action footage shown in the survey period came from foreign sporting events (for

example, the Dakar Rally and Australian Open Tennis).

This paper concerns itself with the news items about Botswana broadcast on the bulletins.

Appendix 1 breaks down the local news items from each bulletin and gives a brief description

of each and identifies the main source or sources of information for each.

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Table 2 demonstrates that the local news items on BTV News are dominated by official state

sources, such as the government. A total of 29.1 percent came directly from government

ministries and / or the President and Vice President of Botswana. These included a statement

(uncontested by the journalist) from the President that poor public services would be a thing

of the past and a report on a retreat organised by the Department of Youth, Sport and Culture

to discuss its development plan.

A further 9.7 percent came from local government and political parties, including a response

to farmers complaining about a local council’s decision banning them from growing cattle

fodder. Of the three items about political parties, two were from the ruling BDP, one of

which was a report on the BDP’s Women’s Wing’s dinner. Combined, these politically-

oriented items accounted for 38.8 percent of local news items.

No other source category came close to is. Items from parastatals (7 percent) and the

Botswana Defence Force (BDF) contributed a further 9.8 percent of sources. The BDF

reports concerned a local littler clean-up campaign.

The forces of law and order (police, prison service, law courts) contributed 12.5 percent of

sources. These included reports on heavy traffic over the Christmas / New Year holiday

period, road accidents and a prison escape.

The above statistics suggest that journalists on BTV seem to over-rely on official voices

(politicians and other representatives of the state) for their local news sources.

There are other voices heard on BTV news, but like the official state voices these also tend to

represent power. For example, “businesses” (such as diamond mining and tourism: two major

drivers of the Botswana economy representing “economic power”) accounted for 11.1

percent of sources. The main thrust of these items was that companies were acting in socially-

responsible ways to local communities, for example Majwe Mining donating clothes to poor

children.

“Ordinary” people are not entirely overlooked by BTV News, but in the research period there

were only eight local news items out of a total 72 (11.1 percent) that originated with them.

The news items included people complaining about one thing or another (e.g. farmers

criticising local stores for not buying their produce; parents worried that shops did not have

enough stocks of school uniforms ahead of the start of the school year; road traffic fines).

They also included two items that identified children who were trapped by poverty: one

included children who were unable to attend school because they had responsibilities at home

as “care givers”; the other was about a child “trapped by poverty”: both appeared to be poorly

concealed appeals for charity.

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Table 2 Main source of information for local news stories: consolidated figures

Source type No of times appearing Percentage of total (figures

rounded)

Govt department or ministers 14 19.4

President or Vice President 7 9.7

Local councils 4 5.5

Political parties 3 4.2

(38.8)

Botswana Defence Force 2 2.8

Parastatals 5 7.0

National organisations 2 2.8

Hospital management 2 2.8

(15.4)

Police / prison service 7 9.7

Law courts 2 2.8

(12.5)

Workshops / conferences 3 4.2

Businesses 8 11.1

‘Ordinary people’ 8 11.1

Miscellaneous, not included

above

5 7.0

TOTALS 72

Source: Author

Analysis of BTV News stated aims

The data collected in the content analysis allow us to test BTV’s stated aims for its news

programming. As discussed above, BTV News has five main aims for news and current

affairs programming. Below is a discussion that tests each of BTV’s aims against the data

gathered in the content analysis.

Aim 1: To inform Batswana about events within and outside the country, to interpret such

events and whenever possible suggest appropriate approaches to them.

Comment: BTV has no journalists operating outside the country and its foreign news is

supplied entirely by international news agencies. Therefore, BTV is unable to “interpret”

these events, nor offer appropriate approaches to them. Also, BTV is limited in its reporting

from inside Botswana. In 10 of the 14 bulletins 50 percent or fewer of the items broadcast

were from news reports from Botswana. The local news that is reported privileges the voices

of those with political and economic power over the “ordinary” people.

The sources of the majority of news reports in the bulletins seem to be organized or staged

events to which the media are invited (sometimes the only purpose of the event is to impart

information to the media). This raises questions about the way the government dominates the

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news agenda and who else within Botswana is allowed to communicate through the TV

station.

We should be interested in the relationship between journalists and their sources because

everyone should have equal access to the media. We should be concerned with relations

between the media and those who have political and ideological power and especially

institutions that seek to define and manage the flow of information in contested fields of

discourse (Schlesinger 1990, pp.62-66). The traditional liberal pluralist view has it that in a

democracy the media reflects a wide range of opinions and interests in society. That position

is contested by Hall et al (1980) who argue that people in powerful positions are able to over

access the media and become “primary definers” of the news because journalists faithfully

reproduce what they say and thus reinforce the existing structure of power in society. The

primary definers are allowed to set the agenda and others with opposing views have to insert

themselves into its definition of what is at issue. In this way, Hall argues, the dominant

ideology of the ruling elite is transmitted by the media (Hall et al 1980, p.58).

Generally, reports on BTV News are presented at face value. Reporters tend not to ask

questions that require people in positions of power to justify their statements or actions.

Reporters tend to receive information from a single source and re-present it unquestioningly

in reports. In most of the stories in the survey, the reporter made little attempt to gather

additional information, not even to get a balancing quote in the case of a story about a matter

of controversy. Nor do journalists tend to give background information to the stories, even

those running from day to day. They seem to have no institutional memory and are unable to

draw on information from their own archives to put stories into context.

On a simple logistical level BTV does not inform Batswana about events inside and outside

the country because technically it is not capable of reaching the whole population and people

in rural areas do not see the station as having relevance to their needs (African Media

Barometer, 2011, p. 48).

Aim 2: The department also executes editorial policy in line with its role as a public service

media charged with the responsibility of promoting policies of the government.

Comment: BTV promotes the policies of the government, but this is done to the exclusion of

almost all opposition voices. This is especially so on matters of controversy. It is difficult for

this research to properly analyse BTV’s news agenda, because only those stories the station

chooses to broadcast are visible. The researcher and the viewer have no idea what “news”

BTV has chosen not to broadcast. There is evidence that BTV censors news that is

unfavourable to government. AMB has said, “State house is known to give directives to the

state broadcaster about what topics to cover and not to cover,” and that “government can stop

or delay the news bulletin to serve its own interests” (African Media Barometer, 2011, p.45).

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Botswana chapter, in its annual review of

media freedom in the country in 2011, came to a similar conclusion. It described BTV

reporting during a long-running strike by public sector trade unions as “unashamed

propaganda” for the government. “The viewers [of BTV] were treated to one side of the story

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as government literally dominated the airwaves and never broadcast the point of view of the

unions” (Ndhlovu, 2012, p.42).

“It was clear during the strike that whoever was in control believed the thousands of

Batswana workers who were on a legal strike did not deserve to be heard by the rest of the

citizens (Ndhlovu, 2012, p.43).

Freedom House has reported the “government occasionally censors or otherwise restricts

news sources or stories that it finds undesirable”. It gives the example of coverage in 2010 of

the split in the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and the resulting formation of the

Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) party that was “conspicuously absent from

state-run radio and television broadcasts, and journalists were discouraged from interviewing

BMD leaders” (Freedom House, 2012).

BTV’s role as “a public service media” is not clearly defined. This has been interpreted (see

Ndhlovu, 2012, p.43; Balule, 2013) to mean a “public service broadcaster”. If this is the case

BTV fails on a number of levels that will be discussed below.

Aim 3: The department is dedicated to the provision of objective, balanced, credible and

professionally-tailored programmes and publications.

Comment: BTV News bulletins are not objective or balanced and therefore are not credible.

Journalists overly-rely on people in power as sources of information. The number of people

appearing in most news items is limited in number and views in opposition to government are

not aired.

Journalists do not behave “professionally” as they do not hold people to account. They do not

question the people they report on, instead allowing them to make claims unhindered. Even in

matters of controversy, such as the report from the President’s Office that poor public

services would be a thing of the past (broadcast 11 January 2013), there is no

counterbalancing argument.

Journalists at BTV News also fail the “professional” test by being incapable of telling a story

visually and using editing techniques that are commonly used in newsrooms across the world.

The lack of capacity of some media practitioners in Botswana is recognised by journalists

themselves, who see them operating as public relations people for the powerful, (Ntibinyane,

2014) or ignoring facts in favour of their own prejudiced news angles (Molefhe, 2008).

Aim 4: Programmes must be impartial and informative.

Comment: This aim seems to repeat that covered in aim 3 (above). The choice of news items

to broadcast and the restricted voices that are allowed to speak demonstrate that the news is

not impartial. What “information” that is broadcast is directed towards news and views that

the government wishes to be broadcast, rather than impartial information that might help

viewers better understand the state of their country.

14

One of the traits of journalism in Botswana (print included) is its unwillingness to produce

stories that contain a balance of views within them. Instead, journalists opt for revisiting

stories over a period of time, introducing new elements and different views in each new

episode. In this way committed viewers or readers might be able to piece together the

disparate elements of the story into a comprehensible whole. But, each new episode tends to

include only one source, thus there is no balance of views or attempt at interrogation of the

powerful. This demonstrates a lack of capacity among Botswana’s journalists to perform one

of their vital roles within a democracy which is to examine what government is and is not

doing and to provide the public with information, comment, analysis, criticism and

alternative views.

Aim 5: To give “fair, accurate and balanced reporting. In line with the country’s Vision 2016,

BTV News aims at ensuring that Batswana are properly informed, educated and become

innovative”.

Comment: This aim has similar characteristics to aim three and four (above). It is correct that

Vision 2016 aspires to see Botswana as “a culture of transparency and accountability”.

(Vision 2016 website, p.7), but the evidence from the bulletins suggests that neither of these

exist.

BTV and its government controllers do not explain what they mean when they want to see

Batswana “become innovative”. One might speculate that this is somehow related to giving

viewers news and information that they could use in some unspecified way in their daily lives

to improve their own situations. However, it would be impossible to identify an item in any

of the news bulletins examined in this research that could be said to meet this need.

BTV and Public service broadcasting

BTV does not make the explicit claim to be a “public service broadcaster”, but many of its

stated aspirations at least imply that this might be its intention (Balule, 2013). Therefore, it is

useful here, to explore the model of public service broadcasting and to demonstrate that it

does not exist in Botswana.

Sometimes among broadcasters there can be confusion about what are the differences

between a “public broadcasting service” and a “public service broadcaster.” In simple terms a

“public broadcasting service” is a service that is broadcast to the public. This can include

radio and television that is state-controlled, commercial broadcasting, church broadcasting,

national stations, local stations and community stations. It is a generic term and includes all

forms of broadcasting that reaches an audience. Even very small stations such as the stations

that broadcast exclusively to one chain of shops, which play music and commercials advising

customers of the bargains of the day (such as you hear in some supermarkets) could be called

a public broadcasting service (Rooney, 2013).

Meanwhile, “public service broadcasting” is a very specific form of public broadcasting

service. It aims to inform, educate and entertain in a way in which the commercial or state

sector left unregulated would not do. Generally, it is understood that public service

15

broadcasters air a wide range of programmes in a variety of tastes and interests. They speak

to everyone as a citizen and everyone has an opportunity to access the airways and participate

in public life (Balule, 2013, p.81).

The World Radio and Television Council put it well when it defined public service

broadcasting “as a meeting place where all citizens are welcome and considered equals. It is

an information and education tool, accessible to all and meant for all, whatever their social or

economic status” (Rooney 2013).

As Rooney (2006) has stated, today, there is a wide geopolitical consensus that political

systems should exist to provide opportunities for all the people to influence government and

practice (DFID 2001) and that the media reinforce or foster this kind of democracy (Price and

Krug, 2002, p.3).

To engage effectively there is an assumption that access to information is the first

requirement for an engaged, participative democracy (Roth, 2001, p.13). An active citizenry

will help prevent governmental excesses and breed trust in the democratic system, thereby

enabling the private media to perform their functions (Tetty, 2003, p.28) and the media are

the major mechanisms by which citizens are informed about the world (Sparks, 1993). There

are specific public interest political goals which the media can be used to serve, including the

following: informing the public, public enlightenment, social criticism and exposing

government arbitrariness, national integration and political education. But the more the media

serve the narrow self-interest the less able they are to serve the other group of public interests

(Ojo, 2003, pp.829-830).

Public service programming fulfils some of the criteria necessary for democratic

participation. Public service programming aims vary from country to country but there is a

core of common features that are universally valid. Public service broadcasting is

broadcasting made for the public, financed by the public and controlled by the public.

Generally, the “public” is the entire population of the country and ideally means every

household in the service area should be in a position to receive the programme service.

Programming should be in the fields of information, entertainment and education for people

of all ages and social groups. It plays an active role in presenting and promoting national

culture and can contribute to strengthening notions of identity and community and establish

adequate interaction between citizens and their immediate wider communities (Rumphorst,

2003, pp.73-74; Yaakob, 2003, p.96).

Broadcasting has a role as a partner in development as it can help to mobilise people who are

directly affected by a community condition (that is, the victims, the unaffiliated, the

unrecognised, and the non-participating) into groups and organisations to enable them to take

action on the social problems and issues that concern them. For community development to

take place, the people must first be conscious of and open to changes for development (Dy,

2004).

People have a right to express their needs and concerns, in development programmes and

across society and government. At an operational level, fulfilling people’s rights to speak

16

about problems with service delivery will improve service provision. More fundamentally,

communication can help create open and responsive government (Burke, 1999).

But, public service broadcasters should be neutral towards all parties, providing facts,

education and entertainment to the people, and not serve as the mouthpiece of those in power

(Samuon, p.106).

BTV meets none of the conditions to be a public service broadcaster. It does not air a range

of programmes in a variety of tastes and interests. It does not treat the citizens of Botswana as

equals, affording access to the airwaves to all. Instead, it privileges the Botswana

Government and those in powerful positions in society. BTV does not attempt to achieve

public interest political goals which would include informing and enlightening the public.

Nor does it allow space for social criticism or to expose the arbitrariness of government.

Conclusion

This paper has concluded that on the evidence of what BTV News broadcasts in its daily

bulletins it is not fulfilling the aims it has been set by itself and the government which include

the necessity to inform people about events within and outside the country, to interpret such

events and whenever possible suggest appropriate approaches to them and to do this by

providing balanced, credible and professionally-tailored programmes containing fair and

balanced reporting.

It has also concluded that BTV News does not fit the model of a public service broadcasting

provider.

There remains an unanswered question. Why did BTV News set these aims in the first place?

We might speculate that in Botswana it is not in the interests of the ruling party (the

Botswana Democratic Party since the country gained its independence from Britain in 1966)

to allow the airwaves to be used by those who might wish to criticise it. With no real

alternative local television station in Botswana, the government holds the monopoly for

television news and probably has no real desire to see the airwaves democratised.

There is no strong advocacy within Botswana for large scale change in its broadcasting

landscape and despite the existence of “press freedom” advocates such as the Press Council

of Botswana and the Media Institute of Southern Africa the government is under no pressure

to make changes in this regard.

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17

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19

About the author

Richard Rooney is an associate professor and head of the Department of Media Studies at the

University of Botswana, Gaborone. He has taught in universities in Europe, Africa and the

Pacific. His research, which specialises in media and their contribution to democracy and

good governance, has been published in books and academic journals across the world.

Suggested citation

Rooney, R. (2014) ‘BTV Fails The People: an analysis of Botswana Television News’,

Research Seminar, Media Studies Department, University of Botswana, 20 March 2014,

Gaborone, Botswana.

20

Appendix 1 News sources for the Botswana News items

1 Sunday 6 January 2013

Item Source(s) of information

New mayor elected Local council meeting

Parents rush to buy school uniforms before

schools reopen

Unclear – might be journalists’ initiative

Police shoot and injure man Police

Heavy traffic over holiday period Government department

2 Monday 7 January 2013

Secondary schools reopen Education Director public address

Magistrates court orders committal in murder

case

Law court

BDP (government party) statement on MPs

who change political parties

BDP general secretary

3 Tuesday 8 January 2013

Government schools reopen – poor exam

results last term

Head teacher

Farmers complain about local council

decision banning growing of cattle fodder

Farmers and local council

Primary school exam results published late Botswana Exams Council

Seven prisoners escape Prison service

Well-known musician dies Source uncertain. His record producer is

interviewed

Outbreak of African Army Worm Ministry of Agriculture

4 Wednesday 9 January 2013

More Batswana people are holidaying within

Botswana

Tourism businesses

Delay in publishing school exam results Botswana Examination Council press

conference

30 die in road accidents during holiday

period

Police

Children can’t go to school because they are

care givers.

One child is interviewed. She appears to be

appealing to viewers for financial help

21

5 Tuesday 10 January 2013

Met Office forecast of rain for next three

months

Met office

Children are affected by extreme poverty One mother interviewed

Crime rates Police and courts

Vice President visits farmers who are

complaining about not being allowed to grow

cattle fodder

VP, farmers, Botswana Water Company

6 Friday 11 January 2013

Office of President says poor public services

are a thing of the past

President’s Office

Farmers unhappy local chain stores are not

buying their produce

One farmer, one business.

Workshop on anti-poverty (business

management)

Workshop

Mining company and its ongoing ‘social

responsibility’ projects

Debswana

Four of seven escaped prisoners recaptured Police

7 Saturday 12 January 2013

Follow up on stories about poverty aired

earlier in the week. Businesses have made

donations

Business who made donations

Famous musician is buried Family of musician

Late rains allow for late ploughing of fields Farmers interviewed

Mining project construction at Jwanenge Debswana press conference

Miss Botswana Pageant to go ahead Botswana Council of Women press

conference

8 Monday 14 January 2013

Princess Marina hospital has electricity crisis Hospital management, Botswana Power

Company

Oil spilling from businesses into residential

area

Residents, Dept for Environmental Affairs

Majwe Mining donates clothes to children Majwe Mining presentation

Serowe Association of Disabled could close

due to lack of funds

Workers at the association

Retreat organised to discuss Youth, Sport and

Culture Development Plan

Dept of Youth, Sport and Culture

22

9 Sunday 20 January 2013

Vice President urges solution to foot and

mouth disease

Vice president at a public meeting

MP urges residents to take advantage of rain

and plough fields

MP at public meeting

Motorists complain about level of traffic

fines

Motorists and police

Houses collapse in heavy rain Residents

10 Wednesday 27 February 2013

Botswana Defence Force commemorates

death of soldiers at Lesoma in 1978

BDF commemoration

President says BDP (govt party) will be

disciplined if they put their own interests

ahead of the people

President

Botswana Defence Force clean-up campaign

in village

BDF brigadier

Minister of Education visits local councils to

talk about back-to-school programme

Minister of Education

Launch of new ‘umbrella’ organisation of

political parties for democratic change

Political rally

11 Tuesday 5 March 2013

President opens international health

conference in Gaborone

President, conference participants

Public meeting on fight against malaria,

organised by mining company

Karowe Mine

Commemoration of Africa Environment Day Government minister

Minister opens Africa Technology

Conference

Minister of Transport and Communication at

conference

Minister of Trade and Industry statement on

trading between Botswana and S Africa

Minister of Trade and Industry statement

Govt officials tour rural area in response to

residents’ concerns over damage caused by

mining.

Ministry

BDP Women’s Wing dinner BDP

23

12 Thursday 7 March 2013

Water shortages in Gaborone Botswana Water Company

International health conference final day Conference participants, including UNICEF

Meeting on youth and AIDS Minster of Youth, Sport and Culture

Youth and AIDS disability workshop Botswana National Library Services

Prices of houses too high because of shortage

of land for building

Bank of Botswana, real estate companies

Court prosecutor jailed for contempt of court Magistrates court

Police warn about motorists giving lifts to

passengers without permit

Police

13 Saturday 9 March 2013

President on walk-about meeting people near

Francistown

President

Initiative launched to prevent blindness Standard Chartered Bank and Ministry of

Health

District council rejects plan to build river

bridge

Local council

Commemoration International Women’s Day Meeting

Campaign on road safety Police and motoring businesses

Restocking of cattle begins after foot and

mouth disease

Government agencies

Crime wave in Gaborone West Residents, police

14 Friday 15 March

Abattoir reopens (closed for poor standards) Butchery operators

Expo on firefighting equipment Central District Council

Management response to continuing power

outages at Princess Marina Hospital

Hospital management, hospital PRO

Government responses to water wastage

through leaks during water shortage crisis

Minister of Minerals … (full name?) Water

Utilities PRO

Opening of conference on fair competition Minister of Trade and Industry

President opens National Council of BDP President and meeting

24

Other research by Richard Rooney available online

Africa

Editor: The Botswana Media Studies Papers, a collection of papers originally presented at a

series of research seminars hosted by the Department of Media Studies in the Faculty of

Humanities at the University of Botswana during September to November 2013. Click here

Social Media and Journalism: The case of Swaziland, Ecquid Novi: African Journalism

Studies, 34:1. 2013. Click here

Characteristics of the Botswana Press Global Media Journal, Africa edition, Vol 6 (1).

Stellenbosch University, South Africa. 2012. Click here

Swazi Newspapers and the ‘Muslim Threat’. Lwati A Journal of Contemporary Research.

Vol. 5. 2008 Click here

2008 The New Swaziland Constitution and its Impact on Media Freedom, Global Media

Journal, Africa Edition. Vol. 2. 2008. Click here

The Swazi Press and its Contribution to Good Governance. Global Media Journal – African

Edition, Vol 1. (Stellenbosch University, South Africa). 2007. Click here

Suffer The Children – Reporting of Minors by the Swazi Press. Lwati: A Journal of

Contemporary Research (Swaziland), Vol 4. 2007. Click here

Challenges in Assessing Vocational Work at a Tertiary Institution a Case Study of Journalism

and Mass Communications at the University of Swaziland, paper presented at the 11th Bi-

Annual International Symposium for BOLESWANA, Quality Education: Implications for

Regional and Global Development. Hosted by Namibia Educational Research Association /

NERA, at the University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia, 6 – 8 July 2005. Click here

Papua New Guinea

Nambawan to Watch: EMTV, PNG’s Only TV Channel, Contemporary PNG Studies, Vol 1.

Nov 2004. Divine Word University, Madang, Papua New Guinea. 2004. Click here

Information for Empowerment and Development Why the Media is Failing the People of

Papua New Guinea. Information for Empowerment and Development: Why the Media is

Failing the People of Papua New Guinea, paper presented at the World Media Freedom Day

Conference, Divine Word University, Madang, 30 April 2004. Click here

Media Ownership Trends and the Implications for Democracy in Papua New Guinea. May

2004. Unpublished manuscript. Click here

Rethinking the Journalism Curriculum – an experience from Papua New Guinea, Asia-Pacific

Media Educator, Graduate School of Journalism at University of Wollongong, Australia,

Issue 14. 2003. Click here.

25

Must Try Harder: The Papua New Guinean News Media and Governance 2002: End of Year

Report, paper presented at PNG Update 2002 Conference at Divine Word University,

Madang, 5 November 2002, Divine Word University, Madang. 2002 Click here

United Kingdom

News Media and Ideology in the UK, paper presented at a lecture series organised by the

Communication Faculty, Girne American University, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,

22 February 2010. Click here

Male Homosexuality in Britain the Hidden History, paper presented at Association of

Journalism Education, Journalism the First Draft of History conference, London, UK, May

2000. Click here

Think Stuff Unwanted: A History of Tabloid Newspapers in England, unpublished

manuscript. 1999. Click here

Protecting The Innocents, a case study of the coverage by the Liverpool Echoof the

Paedophile Question, paper presented at Association of Journalism Education, Children and

the Media Conference, London, UK, May 1999. Click here

The Dynamics of the British Tabloid Press, Javnost, The Public, Vol. V (3), Journal of

European Institute for Communications and Culture. 1998. Click here

Others

Seven Days in March: World Press Freedom Today, paper presented at World Press Freedom

Day conference, Girne American University, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, 3 May

2010. Click here