African Media Barometer CAMEROON 2014 Summary In the three and a half years since the last Cameroon edition of the African Media Barometer (AMB, the country’s media has witnessed a number of negative and positive developments worthy of consideration. For the most part, the overall assessment is that the media landscape today (compared to 2011) is overwhelmingly gloomy due to the downward spiralling witnessed in areas of critical importance to the development of a free, pluralistic, professional, ethical and sustainable media. Unfortunately, the narrative of that dull picture puts the blame squarely in the hands of the principal stakeholder – the journalists. The most dangerous element that has brought about the rapid decay of the media during this period is corruption. Journalists have so easily - and seemingly happily for that matter - accepted to be drawn into the corruption that is rife across the country today. With no misgivings, journalists ask for bribes from eventorganisers, threaten political heavyweights and business magnets into paying ‘ransom’ for purported potentially damaging stories and organise highest bidder award ceremonies, where people of very low accomplishment are presented as laureates to the amusement of their audiences. In this setting, where journalists are increasingly acting with reckless abandon, the role-play is confusing, as society’s traditional watchdog now needs the most watching. Thanks to corruption, the media has in the process thrown out of the window respect for the basic tenets of the profession, with the content churned out by many journalists being guided by self-interest rather than the common good. The repeated complaints about falling professional standards are therefore not a surprise, as they are supported by numerous cases of unethical behaviour. Corruption and its other directives - greed, personal interest and aggrandisement - have attacked and weakened unions and associations that have traditionally been the glue that holds together various parties in the often drawn out fight for media freedom in any country. The infighting within the many, inactive, pro and anti-government divided unions and associations, is a direct consequence. For those journalists who continue to strive for professional uprightness (and there is indeed a strong committed block), there is growing frustration at their inability to make the public realise that they are being tagged with a label that does not reflect the values they stand for. It is no wonder then, that in a sector where government intervention is often seen as out rightly intrusive and guided by ulterior motives, media professionals 76 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER CAMEROON 2014