Sharing the pie...

One of the most disconcerting things about Freetown and Sierra Leone is the status of “the media” or, to be more specific, the unprofessional attitude of journalists, editors and media owners. Don’t get me wrong… there are some very ethical, responsible and diligent reporters around. But, they seem to be in the minority. As a result, the public perception of reporters and the newspapers and radio stations they work for is very low. People are either threatened by or disgusted by reporters… many of whom are young, only functionally literate, unpaid or severely underpaid, untrained, unskilled and usually hungry.

Let me back up a little bit. The post-conflict, fragile state of this country has fostered a ton of international aid, a proliferation of NGOs (legitimate and not), a tentative democratic government and an uncertain, sometimes frustrated attitude among its citizenry. In fact, I’ve inquired from several people about the current state of the country compared to conditions before the conflict throughout the 90s. To a one, they’ve all said, “things are the same if not worse.” Unemployment is a huge problem, poverty, hunger, strife, unhealthy living conditions are rampant, healthcare is almost non-existent, corruption at all levels is obvious and ever-present… marginalization is at its peak… and anger, frustration and fear are a scratch beneath the surface. This tenuous state contributes to all kinds of scams, corruption, deceits and downright plagues of mistrust, misapprehension and abuse.

Reporters and editors… indeed the entire media industry is not immune from these deceits, scams and abuse. And, I’m constantly amazed at how low reporters and editors will stoop to pocket a few Leones – for food, medicine and the basic necessities of life. Everyone here is out to make some extra money… however they can. How can I blame them? How can one judge when they “have to” in order to live… And, wouldn’t I try the same things if I were in their shoes or shacks?

I’ve compiled a list, ever-growing it seems, of unethical and unprofessional things reporters and editors do to make a living… unfortunately contributing to the fear and loathing of public perception. I’m amazed at the brilliance of their scams… For example, let’s start with reporters. It’s not uncommon or unheard of for a reporter to approach a businessperson, show their media ID card, and demand money NOT to write a negative story about the business or personal life of the business-owner. Yes, it’s outright blackmail… and it’ll cost you Le50,000 (about $30 CDN) to escape a tarnished reputation and potential loss of income. And, that’s a mild one.

I had an editor tell me about an instance where a reporter sniffed out an Indian business-owner who was allegedly having affairs with young boys working in his shop. Of course, there was no proof, no verification, no credibility to the story but four journalists approached the Indian man and accused him of “being a homosexual and paedophile”. The accused paid off the four reporters. Within a week, however, the story appeared in three other newspapers… The unsubstantiated story was “sold” by the four original reporters to other reporters, who “broke” the story, which was untrue from the beginning.

The opposite happens as well. A reporter will write something positive, an advertorial in essence, about a business or a politician, and they’ll take the published article back to the subject and demand a “token” for his services.

Of course, reporters or editors are paid by politicians, sometimes, to ignore stories… “Don’t report this corruption, breach of trust or whatever, and I’ll pay you Le100,000.” Or, more often than not, reporters, editors or publishers are paid a monthly stipend to support a politician or political party. Independent media is a long-forgotten ideal… shoved aside by the necessity to feed one’s family.

Or, here’s another not-so-ingenious scam… a reporter will read a story in a competitor’s paper, copy the article, put his name on the piece and submit it to his own editor the following day… Yes, plagiarism is rampant whether it’s stealing something off another reporter or off the radio or via the internet. In fact, it’s not uncommon to read stories straight from the BBC website or Yahoo news… and it’s so blatantly obvious – full sentences, proper grammar, story structure, etc. – things that don’t usually happen in local reports.

NGOs unfortunately contribute to many unethical practices in the media… In order to get a story or press release into the papers or on the radio, an NGO or aid organization will call a press conference… where they offer the reporters “transport” money, a free meal and a one-sided, biased press release praising their own work. Often the press release is published verbatim and never verified, properly sourced or credited. Among the industry, this is referred to as “coasting”.

Organizations will often hand-deliver press conference invitations to media offices (there’s no postal system here and very few folks have e-mail or regularly check their e-mail accounts). I recently discovered that a receptionist (sort of) was holding back these invitations and “selling” them to the reporters… If the receptionist or front line security person suspected an invitation would pay significant “transport” money, they’d offer them to the reporters for a fee. Again… everyone wants his or her piece of the pie – to the point where the pie cannot sustain anyone.

I recently hosted a community forum on “the future of media in Sierra Leone”. In attendance were community members, reporters, editors, friends of the media and some government types. When I began my opening and introductory lecture, I was confronted by a bobbing, throbbing video camera… that captured almost the entire workshop, including the three other presenters and footage of the audience. Ostensibly, the video was for a local television station and was to air as “news” later that night. (Workshops are considered “news” here… despite the fact that the content of most workshops, mine included, is not “news”) And, sure enough, a segment of the workshop did appear on the TV news. (There are only two TV channels in Freetown, one is government owned and operated and the other is a private organization owned by a Sierra Leonean in the U.S.)

But, what was interesting… and ingenious… was what else the reporter did with all his footage from the workshop. He approached my organization and sold the country director a CD copy of the workshop. Any NGO, including JHR, likes to have records of our activities so the market is ripe for video or print “proof” of activity. Then, he sold copies to each of the presenters… smart, talented people from radio, the university and from a branch of the government. And, got a free lunch at the workshop, he got paid from his TV station and he probably made close to Le400,000 from “my” one-day workshop. I should’ve asked for my “cut”…

Here’s another scam from the TV world… When a reporter is asked to attend a function, they’ll often say, “I have to buy batteries and tape first,” which is a not-so-obvious way of saying, “pay me first and I’ll show up to record and report your event, function or activity.”

Interestingly, when an editor suspects a reporter of getting paid to write or produce a story, they usually want their “cut”. For example, a reporter will write up the proceedings of a press conference… and receive Le50,000 from the NGO or organization. Some editors will demand their Le10,000 – Le20,000 cut of the proceeds in order to publish the story. Or, if an editor smells a blackmailed piece… he’ll demand his piece of the pie to publish the article. It’s a vicious cycle… or downward spiral.

Because most reporters, radio and newspaper, don’t type or don’t have access to a computer, an organization will “employ” a typist to translate a story from handwriting to print-ready copy. This typist, who doesn’t earn much, will charge the reporters to type out their stories. The reporters are handcuffed by their inability to type or access a computer. I should add that in most cases these typewritten versions of articles are full of spelling mistakes, typos, little or no punctuation, etc. And, no one does much proofreading…

Of course, the age-old battle between advertising sales and editorial purity continues… similar to publishing constraints in western media, I might add. If there’s no advertising, a newspaper won’t publish. If an advertiser wants a feature article, they get it – if they pay. If an advertiser wants a full-page ad on page three (an especially prized media placement) they get it – if they pay. If an NGO wants to issue a press release or public service announcement (PSA) on the radio – they pay. Media owners, editors and reporters will bend over backwards to get ads… selling the soul of reputable media, just like we do in the west. The bottom line, money and profits, are still the driving force of media industries around the world. Desperation leads to all kinds of unethical contributions to the media, especially in Sierra Leone.

In most newspapers, reporters are considered “freelancers” meaning they get paid for the story if or when it runs in the paper. I’ve heard tell of editors receiving a reporter’s copy and re-writing the piece, putting their own byline at the top of the page… They then refuse to pay the reporter. Instead, the editor receives the freelance payment and the reporter won’t eat that night.

I’m not exactly preaching from an elevated podium when I talk about unethical reporting or pure journalism. I’ve accepted gifts or graft from advertisers (nothing big like a car or house…) But, I once received a “magic bullet” blender from an advertiser… and I’ve been on press junkets hosted by public relations firms. In fact, I still use a jacket I got from Canon cameras while shooting at the Olympics several years ago. And, I’m usually happy to drink the coffee and eat a donut at Canadian press conferences. So, I’m not pure… and don’t proclaim to be entirely above accepting some media perks along the way. And, there’s no telling what I’d do if it came down to feeding my family or providing medication to loved ones. But, what I’ve seen in Sierra Leone would make most western editors, publishers and media owners cringe in disbelief.

But, let’s look at the reality of the media industry here… the pie is small… many people need to eat from that pie… and it’s perhaps wise to divide it up so more people can eat.

Searching for solutions,
Stephen