Freebies And Brown Envelopes In Ethiopian Broadcast Media

As in other media cultures, the effectiveness and accountability of journalistsrnin Ethiopia depends on understanding and following professional codes ofrnconduct/ethics. This research examines to what extent ‘’freebies’’ andrn‘’brown envelopes’’ – media bribes – dominate the Ethiopian broadcastrnmedia. Data was collected by triangulation of research methods, with morernqualitative than quantitative research. The study found bribery widespreadrnamong journalists in the state-owned Ethiopian Radio and TV Agencyrn(ERTA), often attributed to low salaries and lack of ethical training. Thisrnresearch also discusses how bribes affect reporting and why sources pressurernjournalists to accept bribes. The study also explores how ERTA journalistsrnboast about “buche” – their particular slang for bribery – and openly sharerninformation about a practice that would be considered unethical inrninternational media outlets. Arguably, without a change of journalists’rnattitudes, ERTA’s public credibility and professional integrity will bernundermined.

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