the funds. Some panellists commented that the government tries to influence advertising from private companies. An example to emphasise the shrinking size of the advertising market are mobile phone companies (who represent a large size of the market), that are now using their own services to reach customers. In Cameroon, broadcasting is regulated by a decree of the prime minister issued in 2000. Since then, two TV channels have been issued broadcasting licences. The rest operate under a regime called ‘administrative tolerance’, which makes them vulnerable. The country has no broadcasting commission. The NCC, whose members are appointed by the president of the republic, concerns itself with ethics and standards, and has shown surprising resistance to political pressure. However, it has not yet been able to shrug off the image of being used as the hand of the government to stifle the media. This is due to heavy-handed sanctions taken against media outlets and media practitioners. In addition, the NCC has also proven powerless in managing a fair distribution of airtime between political parties during electoral campaigns – the ruling party and its candidates continue to dominate the electoral news on the state broadcaster, Cameroon Radio and Television (CRTV). CRTV’s board is appointed by the head of state and is chaired by the minister of communication. While its editorial policy aims to promote the government’s agenda, there are some timid attempts to push the line. CRTV’s budget is far from enough to cover its running costs. It obtains its revenue from state subsidies, advertising and taxes. Nonetheless, despite its limited resources, CRTV covers a wider range of subjects and communities than any other media outlet. Looking at the overall media landscape, panellists stated that the quality of news reports is dismal. Stories are often incomplete, not cross-checked, and sometimes simply made up. Behind some reports there is a political agenda. Only a handful of journalists strive to maintain professional standards. There are four voluntary codes of ethics in Cameroon which are not really enforced. All attempts to enforce a code of ethics have failed so far. Journalists generally receive very low salaries or none at all. Where they exist, salaries are sometimes irregular. There are cases where journalists must earn their income from tips and handouts when they are covering stories. Only staffers of the public sector enjoy a relatively high and regular income. In these conditions, corruption has rapidly developed in the industry. Tips and bribes are called gombo (okra) or final communique. Journalists do not just accept bribes: they demand to be bribed by event organisers, public officials, etc. At one time, the Ministry of the Economy had 500 million CFA (nearly 1 million USD) in its annual budget for ’servicing the press’. Cameroon has several professional associations and unions for journalists, but they have a limited impact. When they are too vocal, they can be seen as troublemakers by the authorities and media owners. In an effort to stay employed most journalists choose to stay away from their activities. 7 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER CAMEROON 2018