4.8
The salary level and general working conditions of journalists and other
communication professionals are appropriate in order to discourage corruption.
Analysis:
Corruption is a challenge for ethic values. There may be increased salary levels and give
way to the temptation of corruption.
In Mali all conditions are listed which may encourage journalists towards corruption:
social practices which may embrace mutiny, a very low salary level as compared to living
costs, salary discrepancies between the public sector (junior salary at 100 000 FCFA) and
private sector (100 000 FCFA is almost a ceiling salary) where many hardly earn a
minimum negotiated salary (Inter Garanti Smig).
If public media adhere to a certain handling procedures only on professional level, the
private sector functions like a family where social problems are managed in a
professional framework and are not budgeted for. Due to this fact, journalists in the
private sector earn less than their colleagues in the public sector. This disparity could be
regulated by a collective agreement to be elaborated.
All of this constitutes factors predisposing corruption but, once again, the ethic factor is
determining.
Individual marks:
Average:

2-3-2-2-5-1-1-1-2-2
2.1

4.9
Training structures offer qualification programmes to journalists as well as
opportunities to improve their knowledge.
Analysis:
There is no real school of journalism in Mali. There are schools offering training
programmes in communication and marketing and many courses in journalism. These
schools today have a problem regarding the certification of diplomas issued by them
since they do not correspond to CAMES criteria.
In order to deal with the matter, the Maison de la Presse, being the federate media
association, proposes advanced courses to those of the body.
Everybody acknowledges the need and urgency to put in place in Mali a training structure
for journalism professions.
Individual marks:
Average:

1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1
1.0

47

Select target paragraph3