Mozambican newsrooms are still haunted by fear and self-censorship eight months after the assassination of investigative journalist Carlos Cardoso, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported on Thursday.

Speaking after a four-day fact finding tour of Mozambique, CPJ deputy director Joel Simon said he was deeply disappointed at the state of Mozambican media, the African Eye News Service reported. "We met with dozens of journalists at both state-owned and private media, and they all had the same story. Journalists are scared to tackle investigative stories, and many believe it is simply best not to touch stories involving highly placed people," Simon said.

Stressing that there was no official censorship in Mozambique, Simon said journalists however readily admitted to censoring themselves to stay out of trouble. "Many told us that certain stories are off limits, particularly those involving corruption," he said. "It's very disappointing given that CPJ and other press freedom organizations have given Mozambique high marks in the past. The country is internationally known for allowing both independent and State-sponsored media to compete freely, without official interference," Simon said.

He said that everyone the CPJ talked to agreed that the military-style assassination of veteran journalist Carlos Cardoso earlier this year had robbed the country of its foremost investigative reporter. "His murder has left a serious gap for aggressive, investigative reporting. Many journalists told us they were too afraid to follow in Cardoso's footsteps," said Simon. The CPJ has therefore called on the Mozambican government to help reduce the levels of fear by publicly reaffirming its respect for the role of the press as a public watchdog against any abuse of power.

Johannesburg, 20 July 17:45 gmt