SECTOR 4 4.7 Journalists and media houses have integrity and are not corrupt. It is not clear how widespread corruption is amongst journalists in Ghana but it can take several forms: receiving money to write stories in a certain way, accepting other favours, or being blackmailed to refrain from publishing certain stories. These practices are not as common any more as they used to be, although there are still journalists around who are “forced to mortgage their integrity by poverty”. “looking at society in Ghana as a whole, journalists arer not too bad” Transportation allowances for media practitioners to travel to press conferences, for example, are considered legitimate, although some media houses now have a policy that does not aollow their journalists to accept such support. Civil society organisations, however, are complaining that they are compelled to pay journalists for staying in “plush hotels” if they want to have their events covered. Cultural practices sometimes make it difficult for journalists to maintain their integrity, i.e. their “ability to meet the standards expected of journalists and to resist any form of influence that will take journalists from these standards”. On the occasion of Christmas or a bereavement in the familiy it is a tradition for donations to be given which are culturally problematic to reject. Where such a gift is excessive (“a heavy envelope”) this certainly does constitute corruption and it will need courage to tell the donor that although one accepts the donation one will not be influenced by it in any way. Other forms of corruption are politically motivated (“habitually reporting in a certain way”) or due to ethnic considerations - when a journalist exercises inappropriate caution if a story goes against his/her own tribe. Generally there was consensus amongst panelists that “looking at society in Ghana as a whole, journalists are not too bad”. 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: 52 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER GHANA 2011 2.9 (2008 n/a; 2006: n/a)