ANALYSIS: Owners of private media interfere with editorial independence. They pay attention to investments, adverts and weigh these against editorial interests SCORES: Individual scores: 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2 Average score: 1.5 (2005=2.0) 4.6 Salary levels and general working conditions for journalists and other media practitioners are adequate to discourage corruption. ANALYSIS: Salary levels have very little to do with corruption in the media. While there should be no necessary correlation between corruption and bad pay, the culture of bribing is generally perpetuated as a two-way process. Individuals and corporate world yearn for media coverage and promotion, while journalists and editors seek other favours including gifts. Other actors in the malpractices include musicians who will pay to have their music promoted on air. In criticizing the vices in society, journalism assumes a higher moral pedestal, with little internal soul-searching. Journalists do not see themselves as part of corruption. Media houses operate hierarchical management structures without good internal communication and freedom of thought. The end result is that malpractices within media houses are only exposed through anonymous communications. The turn-over of journalists from media houses is high because of poor working conditions including remuneration. Media houses are staffed by a small team of professional staff. The rest of the editorial inputs come from correspondents and stringers who are paid per length of a story (per words and centimeter/inch).This group is not provided with other facilities like transport, telephone and e-mail. There are no guidelines on salaries and payments for both inhouse staffers and correspondents. In this regard, the Kenya Union of Journalists is ineffective. SCORES: Individual scores: 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 3, 1 Average score: 1.7 18 (2005=1.4)