SECTOR 4 the sale of body parts) and for requesting payment of K50,000 (US$200) in order to guarantee the publication of a particular story. The Media Council of Malawi has tried to discourage the “brown envelope” syndrome and in the past appealed to institutions not to encourage it. “It also comes down to an issue of inadequate resources. MBC’s television station will say we can’t send a journalist to your function as we don’t have transport.” 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: 2.3 (2010 = 2.3; 2008 = n/a; 2006 = n/a) 4.8 Salary levels and general working conditions for journalists and other media practitioners are adequate. The state broadcaster, MBC, is considered the best-paying employer in the media sector. Entry level journalists can earn K119,000 (US$476) a month, while a line editor, chief editor or the manager of a newsroom may earn about K320,000 (US$1,280) a month. Employees of most private media houses complain that they are underpaid. A starting salary at a private radio station, for example, is between K50,000 (US$200) and K60,000 (US$240), going up to K75,000 (US$300) for a senior reporter, while managers can earn between K200,000 (US$800) and K300,000 (US$1,200). Some newsrooms pay rookie journalists as little as K30,000 (US$120). These salaries represent a slight increase on what journalists earned two years ago. However, following the devaluation of the Kwacha in May 2012, “nothing is adequate now”. The minimum wage in Malawi is K317 (US$1.30) per day. Working conditions for journalists depend on the particular media house. Most employees at private radio stations and newspapers are employed full-time. Some broadcast journalists work 7.5 hours per day, on rotating shifts. At other private media houses they work “from morning until very late” and there is no overtime compensation. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER MALAWI 2012 59