[Media-watch] Iraqi journalists reportedly take bribes - International Journalists Network - 14/01/2005

[Julie-ann Davies]

http://www.ijnet.org/FE_Article/newsarticle.asp?UILang=1&CId=271467&CIdLang=1

Iraqi journalists reportedly take bribes
Jan 14, 2005


Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's political party handed cash to 
journalists in an effort to ensure coverage of its campaign in the upcoming 
elections, news reports say.

Allawi's party officials gave cash in envelopes after a press conference in 
Baghdad on January 10, the Financial Times reported on its Web site, FT.com. 
Each envelope had a $100 bill in it, and mostly went to Arab TV reporters.

Various news reports said that some journalists refused to take the "gift," 
but others accepted it. The money was roughly equal to half a month's salary 
for an average Iraqi reporter.

Responses from Allawi's people were contradictory. The Guardian of London 
quoted Allawi's spokeman, Tahir Al-Naqib, saying "It was a mistake, it was 
done by one person acting as an individual." At the same time, Allawi's 
coalition campaign manager Adnan Al-Janabi told the BBC, "We have no excuse 
in your culture, but I'm from a tribal background and in ours it is just 
hospitality."

Al-Janabi also added: "If we wanted to bribe the press, we would have to pay 
a lot more."

Some Iraqi journalists told the Guardian that other political parties were 
paying reporters for attending similar events, and they admitted taking the 
money.

According to the Financial Times, one reporter joked that it was like the 
era of Saddam Hussein, who was known to give money to favored journalists. 
But the incident raises serious questions about journalism ethics, or the 
lack thereof, in the post-Saddam era. It is also unlikely to help the 
credibility of Iraqi news media.

FT.com: http://news.ft.com/cms/s/da6ad5c6-6376-11d9-bec2-00000e2511c8.html.

The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,5102132-103550,00.html.

BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4168925.stm.



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