SECTOR 4 4.6 Owners of established mainstream private media do not interfere with editorial independence. Private media owners have direct influence on editorial content. They control the political and economic aspect of their product even if they generally downplay this fact and editorial independence is very restricted. The Ivorian journalist Ibrahima Sy Savané, has since 1996, been highlighting the fact that politicians, in a conspicuous manner, controlled most newspapers. Since then, other politicians, such as Laurent Gbagbo, founder and owner of Notre Voix, display their intentions publicly: Gbagbo told the management of a newspaper: “I have established this newspaper to ensure that all Ivorians, every day, know what I am thinking!” A panellist highlighted that since the electorial crisis, a new generation has been turning towards less politicised newspapers but this new minority group has yet to gain ground. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 1.1 (2009: 1.4) 4.7 Journalists and media houses have integrity and are not corrupt. Corruption is a widespread practice in Ivorian media bodies. It takes different forms (blackmail, money, racketeering, lost files) and is at times, rather insidious. A panellist gave the example of a newspaper, which frequently labelled an advisor to the embassy of France slave trader and racist and by doing so, managed to make him leave his post. Said advisor had simply denied some travel visas! “Services” rendered by corrupt journalists depend on the briber’s wallet or the victim’s. A panellist explained that when rich crooks needed poor ones, poor ones 110 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER COTE D’IVOIRE 2012