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: 3.4 (2012 = 2.5; 2010 = 4.5; 2008 = 2.1; 2006 = 2.1) 4.5 Journalists and media houses have integrity and are not corrupt. Corruption is rife in Zimbabwe’s media industry, and takes place at all levels – including at editorial level. Journalists solicit bribes from people in a number of different ways, including with threats to publish potentially embarrassing stories or photographs. For example, “there are those who go the magistrate’s court, find the names of prominent people on the maintenance court list, and then call these people and threaten to publish the story.” One editor detailed how a reporter was caught doing this red-handed, even going as far as to try to solicit additional cash by threatening that other reporters would need to be paid to ensure the story doesn’t reach the light of day. Another panellist remarked that journalists often tarnished the names of their editors by citing them in their corrupt activity. Instances of “lapdog journalism” – whereby journalists become puppets of certain politicians, musicians, organisations, etc., and always write about that entity for financial or other benefit – are also common. So widespread is corruption in the media that members of the public often believe that they have to pay in order to have a story published. One panellist noted: “When we engaged women in civil society and asked them why they don’t want to be in the media, they said that the interview fees are too high.” Another panellist noted an incident at the launch of a new political party, where someone came to him and remarked that he was impressed by his professionalism, because he didn’t have to pay for a front page story, but had been asked to pay by another media house. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ZIMBABWE 2015 57