When Nigerian-owned This Day newspaper closed shop in South Africa some years back after an abortive raid, journalists complained of not having been paid for months and that salary deductions for tax and pensions never made it to the intended destinations. This was anathema for a journalistic cohort that operates under First World rules. But as this Al Jazeera investigation reveals, those who compete with This Day in its Lagos home market work according to very different rules. As post-disaster coverage of the collapse of “prophet” TB Joshua’s temple illustrates, Nigeria’s media corruption is endemic. Not everyone accepts the “brown envelopes”. But not being on the take is the exception – and whistle blowers invite a powerful backlash from the corrupted. – Alec Hogg
From Al Jazeera:
Among some of the worst paid reporters in Africa, Nigerian journalists are seldom given money to cover travel or other expenses, let alone paid their salary on time.
Affecting the way stories are reported, some of the country’s most pressing events have either gone unnoticed or underreported.
Amid this climate where investigative journalism is severely stifled, corrupt and illicit practices have begun to flourish.
Reporters are often seen waiting for cash handouts from politicians and government officials at press conferences before rarely questioning them or fact-checking.
And in a country where corruption tends to trickle from the top down, it is becoming harder for readers to distinguish fact from fiction.
The Listening Post’s Nic Muirhead travelled to Lagos, Nigeria’s media capital, to report on ‘brown envelope journalism.’
Source:Â http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/listeningpost/2015/09/nigeria-brown-envelope-journalists-150913113556304.html
