SECTOR 4 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: 1.5 4.7 Journalists and media have integrity and are not corrupt. Although it is difficult to measure the phenomenon precisely and to back up all charges in this regard with irrefutable evidence, corruption is perceived sometimes experienced - by the panelists as an endemic practice and a “serious problem” in the media. One panelist, editor and owner a paper, readily admitted that his publication had received money for pursuing a particular editorial line and that he did not prohibit his journalists from “taking” a donation as long as they did not actively solicit it. If there is corruption, one panelist pointed out, there must be a corruptor somewhere. The panel also underlined the vital role played by politicians in fueling corruption. Nevertheless, a distinction should be made between practices which are reprehensible in terms of professional ethics - but perfectly legal – and real acts of corruption. During election periods, for example, the HAAC allows candidates to conclude contracts with private media and pay them a fee in exchange for receiving equitable coverage. This is justified by the fact that private media, unlike the state media, do not receive public funding to cover election campaigns and the actual polling process. This mechanism was applied in the 2007 and 2010 elections and welcomed by all the parties involved. Overall, relations between the media and politicians remain marked by the omnipresence of money. And, one panelist cautioned, there is no room for any form of Manichaeism in this game: “Power and opposition corrupt.” Some media outlets are said to “receive money every month” from certain personalities or political parties. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER TOGO 2010 129