THE IMPACT OF GRATIFICATION ON NEWS COVERAGE/SELECTION IN

THE PRACTICE OF JOURNALISM IN NIGERIA:

A CASE STUDY OF N.T.A AND THE NATION’S NEWSPAPER.

BY

EDOMAH HELEN OMEBA

MAT. NO: NOU154271124

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ABSTRACT

The role of the media in social, economic and national development is very important. However, the impact
of gratification on the practice of journalism is significantly on the increase as it now poses serious concerns
to the profession.This study aimed to find out why journalists demand/indulge in gratification and if the
practice influences the selection of news to be aired/published.A survey was employed in this study, while
questionnaire and interview were the instruments used. Responses were coded in percentages and presented
in tables.The result of this study shows that poor remuneration, financial instability, economic issues,
pressure from bosses, greed etc are the major reasons journalists accept/demand for gratification.Findings
show that journalists have high knowledge on the effect of gratification and know it’s unethical for them to
collect all forms of gratification.This study recommends that media organisations should pay more attention
to the remuneration of their journalists. Also, more opportunities should be provided for media professionals
to learn about the ethics of their profession and its effect on their writings in the aspect of objectivity and
fairness.

KEY WORDS: JOURNALISM, GRATIFICATION, NEWS SELECTION, NEWS COVERAGE,

OBJECTIVITY AND FAIRNESS.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page 1

Declaration page 2

Certification page 3

Dedication 4

Acknowledgements 5

Abstract 6

Table of Content 7-8

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of study 9-12

1.2 Statement of the problem 13
1.3 Research Questions 14
1.4 Purpose of the study 14
1.5 Scope of the study 14
1.6 Significance of the study 14-15
1.7 Limitations of the study 15
1.8 Definition of terms 15-16

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction 17

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2.2Conceptual framework 17-19

2.2.1Definition of Journalism 19

2.2.2 History of Journalism in Nigeria 19-20

2.2.3 Gratification- Freebies, Junkets, and Brown envelope 21-24

2.3 Theoretical framework 25

2.3.1 Deontological theory 26-28

2.3.2 Teleological theory 28-29

2.4Empirical studies 29-32

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction 33

3.2 Research design 33

3.3 Population 33-34

3.4 Sample size 34

3.5 Sampling technique 34

3.6 Research Instruments 34

3.7 Validity and Reliability of the instruments 35

3.8 Method of data collection 35

3.9 Method of data analysis 36

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS

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4.0 Introduction 37

4.1 Demographics details 37

4.2 The Gender of respondents 37

4.3 The age bracket of respondents 38

4.4 Demographics for interviewees 38-39

4.5 Presentation and analysis based on research questions 39-40

4.6Table on Purpose of gratification that journalists receive 40-41

4.7 Table on the extent to which gratification influences journalist 41-42

4.8 Table on reasons for accepting gifts from my news sources 42-43

4.9 Table on types of gratification in Lagos State 43-44

4.10 Discussion of Findings 45-47

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary 48

5.2 Conclusion 48-49

5.3 Recommendation 49

5.4 Suggestions for further studies 49-50

REFERENCES 51-56

QUESTIONNAIRE 57-59

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Journalistic integrity is based on the principles of truth, accuracy and factual knowledge. It has in time
gained enormous power and calls for the highest standards of ethics and commitment to truth because of the
critical part it plays in the society as the fourth estate of the realm. It is in this regards that Charles(1999)
posited that the journalist is there to watch over the safety and welfare of the people who trust him.
Unfortunately, in journalism, Ethics which is a set of moral principles and Objectivity which refers to being
factual and unbiased in news reportage are now issues of global concern as scholars recognize that their
basic constituents of accuracy, fairness and truth have assumed the mythical realm. This is because
journalists now battle between gratification and the ethics of the profession thereby losing its face before its
audience. This has given room for corruption to deeply find its way into journalism, crucifying
professionalism and ethics of the profession. Consequently, Truth is either misplaced or ignored, and then,
fairness and objectivity are thrown into the wind.

As noted earlier, the practice of journalism as a noble profession demands for discipline and ethical
behaviour to uphold the crucial and dependency nature of the society on the mass media for her survival.
Owing to the nature of journalism as a profession that requires individuals with the conscience to practice
journalism in the right way, there is need to cover all loops that could cause them to dissuade from the right
path. Therefore, there is need for proper remuneration of journalists by the media organizations they work
for. Unfortunately, a lot of journalists are in state of abject poverty emanating from poorly paid salaries.
According to Danladi(2008) Nigerian journalists are the most poorly paid in terms of their total welfare
packageas some earn as little as N15,000 a month. This has caused many journalists to engage in unethical
practices and this has affected the credibility of mass media contents causing audience to lose confidence in

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journalists’ information. Corroborating this, Zaggi(2007) opines that it is shocking to know that some media
organizations in Nigeria pay meagre, irregular or sometimes no salaries at all to journalists working for
them. They only tell the journalists to use the name and reputation of the medium to earn a living for
themselves.

Obviously, the conventional dictum "he who pays the piper dictates the tune" has found a comfortable place
in the practice of journalism in this present day. In the bid for a journalist to make up for what he is lacking,
that is, a good salary for job well done, he depends on money paid by sources of news. Therefore, since the
piper has been paid, then the tune is dictated by he who has paid. Hence, Maharaj(2003, p.25) opines that “a
good political writer could earn about $200 a month by attending events and collecting brown envelopes”.
He added that “you do your job and please some people, those you please would appreciate you".
Similarly, Zaggi(2007:2) reiterated that:

Not paying salaries to journalists is of course a fertile ground that

breeds bribery and corruption into the profession. The worker deserves
his wages to meet his/her needs. To deny him the fruit of his labour is
to say the least callous. Denied good and regular salaries, these
journalists are forced to depend on gratification and bribery for
survival. This practice however has given rise to the concept of
"cheque book journalism”.

If in the practice of journalism, there is a source that pays the piper, then its basic constituents of accuracy,
fairness and truth have indeed assumed the mythical realm. Because instead of news being reported in the
interest of the public, reporting news in the interest of certain individuals stifles the objectivity of the press,
and objectivity in the practice of journalism is synonymous to the profession itself. This is why objectivity
sometimes is often regarded as `facticity' (a mechanism which allows journalists to hide even from
themselves the ‘constructed’ and ‘partial’ nature of their stories). This describes the true face of journalism
where objectivity plays its role clinging tightly to the ethics of the profession. However, this element has
been lost in the realm of journalism.

Olumuyiwa (1988, as cited in Obianigwe, 2009:.2) had this to say about the importance of objectivity in
journalism:

Objectivity in news presentation is not a myth, nor a mere

philosophical abstraction, but an attainable media goal which the
journalist must strive for even in the face of opposing realities.
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 Objectivity in the collating and presenting of news is the goal of the
reporter, and a major principle of journalism. In spite of the fierce
competition among newspapers, news magazines, radio, TV, or wire
services, in regard to who gets a story first and is fastest in making
such news items public property, objectivity in the disseminating of
news is acknowledged as a significant hallmark of modern journalistic
practice.

According to McNair(1998), the concept of objectivity is the oldest and still the key legitimating
professional ethic of journalism. It is a guarantee of quality control which asks us to believe that
what is being said is valid and believable. This is reflected in the duty of journalists, which is, to
help discover the truth in all happenings in the society. Also assists in the process of solving political
and social problems by presenting all manner of evidence and opinion as the basis for good decision
making.

However, according to Ayodele (1988, as cited in Obianigwe, 2009:26) “the journalist is objective only to
the extent to which he is not unduly influenced by personal bias, prejudice or other extraneous constraints”.
It is therefore, unfortunate that in today’s world where the economy is pinching and a journalist’s monthly
salary is next to nothing, journalists are pushed to act on the instinct of ‘survival’, and extracurricular
activities that are income generating are at the forefront of journalists’ basic agenda. This has given the
practice of gratification a ground to stand upon. Obianigwe(2009) asserts that in Nigeria, many journalists
attend political and various events expecting to receive not necessarily scoops, but cash-filled brown
envelopes. Due to this practice of gratification, journalists have found themselves in the difficult situation of
balancing the demands of their survival and that of protecting the interest of the society in which they live,
and adhering to professional ethics.

According to Dan Agbese (1995, as cited in Olukotun, 2005:2):

Publishing is business; a business is no good unless it survives. The

publication which sells is the publication which is successful. It is also
the one that survives. Everyone who invests in a newspaper or
magazine wants to make money. Unless the publication sells, the
money cannot be made and the investment is lost. In the search for
profit, there is then the relegation of news worthy issues for those that
will bring profits to the organization even when it is not in the
common good of the public.

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This view seems to have garnered strength as increasingly scholars suggest that news, even when
professionally selected, is guided more by organizational and individual needs than by professionalism as
one cannot fail to see that journalism is so full of contradictions that
"we have to question even the most fundamental dogma of the profession - truth seeking - because the way
it has been conceived and practiced in journalism serves as a deceptive filtering device preventing as much
as helping the truth being discovered" Nordenstreng(1995:117). It is in the light of this that
Obianigwe(2009) asserts that reporters are becoming increasingly perceived as "hired guns" rather than
professionals who are out to serve the public good. It is therefore, an irony that a profession that is supposed
to be all out to unearth corruption is now one of the bastions of corruption in the country.

From the preceding paragraph, one can note that the idea of gratification is no news anymore in the practice
of journalism. Gratification comes in different forms and one of such is the brown envelope which refers to
the giving of money in form of rewards in a brown paper envelope from news maker to a reporter. This
presupposes that there is a willing source who is ready to give ‘something’ to influence the processing of the
information gathered by the reporter; and a reporter, willing or reluctant to take, but who collects all the
same for his/her personal use and the ‘deal’ is wrapped up in utmost confidentiality. Also,
Nordenstreng(1995) opined that News commercialization practice in Nigeria media industries adds to this
contradiction and deception, creating a continuous dilemma for ethics and objectivity in journalism practice
in Nigeria. The basic reality is that, this practice has gained fame by acquiring various euphemistic names
like “bonus journalism”, “oiling hands”, and “cocktail journalism”. In Tanzania, the recognized term
“sitting fee” describes the allowance paid by organizers to journalists for showing up at an event and staying
until it is over. “Blessing fee” is the equivalent term used in Ethiopia when the Orthodox Church is
involved.

With all these in focus, there is an understanding among many scholars that gratification is poisonous to
journalistic practice and can be equated to corruption. There is also an overall agreement that it
compromises journalistic values like truthfulness and objectivity. Therefore, it is on this ground that The
Nigerian Union of Journalists’ in her Code of conduct, Clause 4 of the Code says: “A Journalist shall not
accept bribes nor shall he/she allow other inducements to influence the performance of his/her professional
duties”.

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Ganiyu(2004) also stressed the fact that journalism demands that its practitioners be incorruptible no matter
what they face. Olukotun(2005) further opines that journalists should not succumb to bribery and
corruption, never receiving gratification in order to cover or publish an event. Public interest should at all
times dictate the conduct of the journalist. McQuail(2000) stressed that, among others things, the media
have an obligation to the wider society and media ownership is a public trust; news media should be
truthful, accurate, fair, objective and relevant, and the media should follow agreed codes of ethics and
professional conduct.

Unfortunately, gratification has become a culture, so much so that when journalists go for their assignments,
they already have it at the back of their minds that they should be given ‘something’. The people giving the
envelopes call it ‘just a little appreciation’. Others call it a token ‘for transportation’ or ‘for fuel’, especially
if the journalist came to the assignment in his car. Some journalists rationalize it easily, and give the
common defense: “They just gave me. They are not asking me for anything”. Yet, the receivers know that
nothing goes for nothing. They know very well that those offering ‘brown envelopes’ do not do so because
of their undying love for journalists or journalism, or because they run a charity organization. They do so to
achieve a pre-conceived end.

1.2Statement of the Problem

Gratification is now seen as a culture in the practice of journalism. This has eaten so deep that journalists
now see it as norm as they always have it at the back of their mind that they should be given ‘something’ by
their sources. Though, journalists perceive this as a show of appreciation by their sources but deep in their
minds they know that whatever it is they are given comes with a price, which translates to gratification
being a means to an end.

Today, journalism which is supposed to uphold the tradition of truth telling is failing in its course. The
growing commercial interests of media organization and the drive for dominance by institutions and states
have contributed to the erosion of the tradition of truth telling and objectivity in the media. The giving and
receiving of brown envelopes signify that the source enters an informal agreement with journalists to
guarantee favorable news coverage, erasing the tradition of truth, fairness and objectivity from the practice
of journalism.

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Consequently, this development has generated varied opinion among educated class, opinion leaders,
government agencies stakeholders and general public on the efficacy of journalism as profession and mass
media content. Critics are also of the view that they do not believe in mass media messages or content as
they used to because the journalists today lack objectivity in their reportage of events owing to influences of
gratification.

In the light of this, the study intends to investigate the extent to which gratification affects the level of
practitioner’s compliance to the ethics of journalism.

1.3 Research Questions

This study intends to find answers to the following questions:

I. What are the factors responsible for the reception of gratification?
II. To what extent does gratification influence news selection?
III. Which types of gratification do journalists receive from citizens?
IV. What are the purpose of gratification that journalists receive?

1.4 Purpose of the Study

This study, among many other things, seeks to achieve the following purposes:
I. To ascertain whether it is ethically right for journalists to request for or accept gratification for
discharging their duty.
II. To ascertain whether or not the acceptance of gratification influences journalists’ sense of news
judgment/selection.
III. To identify factors responsible for the reception of gratification among journalists.
IV. To ascertain whether gratification can be discouraged in the practice of journalism.

One of the functions of a journalist is to provide its audience with factual and objective information that
would enable them take rational decision at every point in their lives. This study is being conducted to
establish through investigations if the media has truly succeeded in disseminating information to the general
public objectively without reflecting any bias in their news judgment especially in regards to gratification

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accepted while discharging their duty. It is also designed to establish if journalists are actually aware of the
ethical standards of the profession and also put them into practice.

1.5 Scope of the Study

This study analyzed the effect of gratification on the practice of journalism especially in the process of news
coverage/selection, using journalists in two media houses (broadcast and print) in Lagos State as case
studies.

1.6 Significance of the Study

This study will be beneficial to everybody as the media is a tool that brings information to their door step.
Few among the beneficiaries include but not limited to undergraduates and graduates of Mass
Communication, Advertisers and Public Relations Personnel.

For academic purpose, it will serve as reference as well as an object of reliability for other users that are
conducting or intend to conduct research. The study will attempt to establish a behavioural pattern among
Nigerian journalists on the issue of ethics.

This study will also benefit journalists by registering it in their minds that true satisfaction is derived from
proper discharging of duty and acting in the capacity in which they are known which is serving as the fourth
estate of the realm by disseminating truthful and factual information to their audience.

Conclusively, this research will help reveal some factors that militate against the practice of journalism and
promote gratification in journalism, like news commercialization, poor salaries etc. on media performance,
with a view to creating solutions to them e.g. increasing the salaries of journalists.

1.7 Limitations of the Study

During the process of this research, some limitations were encountered. One of such limitation is financial
constraint, this is due to the high cost of living/production of materials needed for the questionnaire in
Lagos which is the area of study.

Also, some media organizations did not respond well to the administration of the questionnaires and
conducting of interviews, hence, the researcher had to beg them to help for the purpose of the research.

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1.8 Definition of Terms
Mass media: The mass media are diversified medium that are intended to reach a large audience
by communication. They comprise all outlets and instrument used to reach out to a large heterogeneous
audience. It includes newspapers, television, radio etc.

Journalism: Journalism means the act of writing and printing information through media. It refers to the
process of gathering, processing and dissemination of information to a heterogeneous audience.

Journalists: These are persons that are in the editorial department in any media house. They practice
journalism.

Ethics: This is the expected behaviour of a journalist as to story writing. To be ethical means to write a
story void of personal inclusion. Stories ought to be balanced, fair and accurate.

Objectivity: Objectivity is the ability to look at something with a sense of neutrality. Writing a story
without bias.

Gratification: Gratification refers to money, gifts and other incentive given to journalist in media houses by
newsmakers to influence their news coverage as opposed to ethics of journalism profession.

Journalistic integrity: Firm adherence to journalistic codes and morale value. It refers to journalists being
completely honest adhering to their codes and values.

News selection: This is the process through which journalists sort through, process and handpick news from
the vast amount of information made available to them, through a broadly agreed set of characteristics
called “the news values”.

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CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction

This section provides general literature on gratification and its impact on news coverage/selection.
Furthermore, it provides a theoretical framework upon which this study shall be based. Generally it shall
include conceptual framework, theoretical framework, and an empirical review of related literature on the
field.

2.2 Conceptual Framework

2.2.1 Journalism

A layman’s knowledge of Journalism is that journalism is the process of gathering, processing, and
disseminating news and information to an audience, and a person who does this is a journalist. Various
scholars have defined Journalism in their own words and most of these definitions describe the activities
involved in journalism.
One of such scholars is McQuail(2005), He defines journalism as follows:
1. The collection and editing of news for presentation through the media.
2. The public press.
3. An academic study concerned with the collection and editing of news management of a news
medium.
4. Writing characterized by a direct or the citation of facts or description of without an attempt at
interpretation events.

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Curtis(2011:2) perceives “journalism as the practice of investigating and reporting events, issues and trends
to the mass audiences of print, broadcast and online media such as newspapers, magazines and books, radio
and television stations and networks, blogs, social and mobile media”. He opined that the product generated
by such activity is called journalism and people who gather and package news and information for mass
dissemination are journalists. From Curtis’ definition, the functions involved in the practice of journalism
were mentioned, also the media through which the information or news gathered are disseminated to the
audience were also stated and they are radio, newspapers etc.

Also,Okoro & Onuoha(2013) defines Journalism as a veritable tool for information dissemination, social
mobilization and control. It is a means of public education and sensitization on important issues affecting
the lives of the people. In this definition, they see journalism as a tool for social control through education
and sensitization. From their definition, journalism is seen as the ‘veritable’ means through which
information is disseminated which means that journalism to them is the ‘real or true’ means of information
dissemination; they do not acknowledge any other means of information dissemination but journalism.
They present what journalism is and not the process of journalism which defines journalism in a different
light.
Furthermore, in a bid to define journalism, Harcup(2008:9) states that “Journalism is a method of inquiry
and literary style that aims at providing service to the public by the dissemination and analysis of news and
other information. He further pointed out that Journalistic integrity is based on the principles of truth,
disclosure, and editorial independence”.

Journalists are saddled with the social role of informing the society about things that would otherwise be
private. The duty of a journalist is to go out to the scene of a story to gather information for their reports,
and often write their reports in the field. They use telephone, computer, the internet and other information
sources. However, more often than not, those reports are written, and are edited in the newsroom; the office
space where journalists and editors work together to prepare news content.

However, the role and status of journalism has undergone significant changes over the last two decades with
the advent of digital technology and publication of news on the Internet. With this change, journalism is no
longer confined to the news media or to news itself, as journalistic communication has found its way into
broader forms of expression, including literature and cinema. One of the major cardinal functions of
journalism or mass media is to mirror the society through its watchdog role, another is to serve the role of a
fourth estate, acting as a watchdog on the workings of the government. Therefore, the role of journalism in
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the society cannot be over-emphasized. Importantly, journalists must equally be conscious of the fact that
they too are being mirrored by the public in general.

According to Folarin (2002)journalists must fulfill their fundamental obligations as surveillance of the
environment (the news function), correlation of the different parts of the environment (the editorial
function) and transmission of the cultural heritage from one generation to the other (the culture transmission
function).
Therefore, Journalism is a discipline of collecting, analyzing, verifying, and presenting news regarding
current events, trends, issues and people, and those who practice journalism are known as journalists.
According to Harcup (2008) there are five major forms of journalism. These are:
a) Investigative: Investigative journalism aims to uncover the truth about a particular subject, person,
or event. It is based on the basic principle underlying all journalism-verification and accurate
presentation of facts.
b) News: News journalism is straightforward. Facts are relayed without flourishes or interpretation. A
typical news story often constitutes a headline with just enough explanation to orient the reader.
News stories lack the depth of a feature story, or the questioning approach of an investigative story.
Rather, they relay facts, events, and information to society in a straightforward, accurate and
unbiased manner.
c) Reviews: Reviews are partly opinion and partly fact based. The review needs to accomplish two
things: one, accurately describe or identify the subject being reviewed, and two, provide an
intelligent and informed opinion of the subject, based on research and experience.
d) Columns: Columns are based primarily on the personality of the author, allowing him or her to
write about subjects in a personal style. Column writers can take a humorous approach, or specialize
in a particular subject area or topic. Columnists can interpret events or issues or write about their
own personal experiences or thoughts. Columns are usually published weekly.
e) Feature Writing: Feature writing provides scope, depth, and interpretation of trends, events, topics
or people. Features aim not only to thoroughly explore a topic by conducting interviews with
numerous experts or the key people involved, but to offer a previously unseen perspective on an
event, issue, or person. It usually have the highest word count of all journalism types.

2.2.2 HISTORY OF JOURNALISM IN NIGERIA

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According to Omu (1978) and Okafor (2002) Journalism started in Nigeria with the Print media in the year
1859. Then, a European missionary named Rev. Henry Townsend published the first newspaper in Nigeria
called “Iwe Irohin”. The success of Iwe Irohin paved way for other newspapers to follow. Thus, between
1863-1865, Robert Campbell joined the train with the publication of the Anglo African newspaper. Over
time, Nigerian publishers began to venture into newspaper business. Thus, titles likeThe Nigeria Pioneeer
published by Kitoye Ajasa between 1914-1937, the African Messenger first published in 1921 by Ernest
Okoli, The Lagos Daily Mirror founded by Obademi and popularized by Herbert Macaulay in 1927, and
The West African Pilot published by the great sage Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe emerged in the Nigeria print media
landscape. Today, over 250 newspapers (national, regional and local) and magazine titles circulate in
Nigeria, contributing essentially to national development through their news reports, analysis and
interpretation.
Afterwards came the emergence of Radio, the first electronic media in Nigeria in 1932. It began as a re-
diffusion programme of the British colonial government, then the colonial government chose Lagos as one
of the centres among the British colonies where radio signals were received and retransmitted to Nigerian
audience via re-diffusion method.
According to Okunna and Uzokwe (2006:75) note that:
Between 1932 and 1950, the BBC monitoring station in
Lagos was developed into an extensive radio distribution
Service (RDS) to cater for some dense population centres
Of the colonial government through re-diffusion stations
Located in Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode, Kano, Kaduna,
Enugu, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Jos, and Zaria; these were
Converted into fully operative radio stations by the Federal
Government to form the media of the Nigerian Broadcasting
Service (NBS) which was established in 1951.

It is pertinent to note that NBS later changed to Nigeria Broadcasting Cooperation (NBC) which later
metamorphosed into the present day Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) in the year 1978.
Presently, virtually all the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja now have radio
stations. And with the deregulation of the broadcast industry in Nigeria in 1992, private radio and television
stations now operate in the country.

In the case of television, the history started in 1959 with the establishment of the Western Nigeria
Television (WNTV). The reason television started from the region was attributed to the pre-independence
17
politics which placed more emphasis on regional rather than national development (Okunna, 1993:55). So
the establishment of WNTV in 1959, other regions began to establish their own television stations.
Therefore, in 1960, the Eastern Nigeria government established Eastern Nigeria Television (ENTV). This
was followed by the Radio Television Kaduna (RTK) in 1962 which functioned as an arm of Broadcast
Corporation of Northern Nigeria. The federal government had its own, Nigeria Television (NTV) in Lagos
in the same 1962. All these were later broughttogether under NTA.

In 1976, the federal government established the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). NTA was then given
exclusive right over television broadcasting in the country until 1979 when state governments wishing to
operate television stations were empowered to do so.

Conclusively, journalism is not defined by technology, nor by journalists or the techniques they employ,
rather by something more basic, which is to provide citizens with the information they need to make the best
possible decisions about their lives, their communities, their societies, and their governments.

2.2.3 Gratification
Merriem Webster Dictionary (2015) defines gratification as reward, recompense, especially gratuity. It is
seen as the pleasurable emotional reaction of happiness in response to a fulfillment of a desire or goal.
Gratification conceptually refers to gift given to someone at any point in time. It is the money, and other
incentives given to journalists in media houses, newspapers, magazine, radio and Television by newsmakers
in other to compensate them for their time and to show gratitude also.
It is in view of this that Ekeanyanwu& Obianigwe(2012:517) argue that:
These monetary gifts could pressurize the journalist into doing what the
giver wants, and this makes the journalist unable to be objective in his
reporting of events and issues involving the people who give such gifts.
Thus, the news stories produced are likened to commercial products that
have been paid for by the customer which should serve the need to which
the product is expected, in favour of the customer.

Like all emotions, gratification is a motivator of behavior and thus plays a role either consciously or
unconsciously when given to or accepted by any journalist. It influences their news coverage as opposed to
ethics of journalism profession. Gratification in journalism comes in three (3) major forms. These are:
a. Freebies

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Freebies are gifts and items given to someone without the person paying for it, the interesting part in the
definition of freebie by Cambridge dictionary (2015) is that it says ‘especially as a way of attracting one’s
support for or interest in something’.
According to Okoye (2008) Freebies are various assorted gifts given to reporters or editorial staff of media
organizations to gain their goodwill in order to overtly or covertly influence their writings. These gifts can
range from sample products or souvenirs to equipment or gadgets whose aim is to sway the reporter to the
side of the individual or organization giving the gift.
Freebies are also known as sundry gifts which are given to journalists by newsmakers as a ‘thank you for
coming’ package. These gifts come in form of money, hamper packs etc. Now, one would ask the question
of whether there is anything wrong with accepting gifts, either for Christmas, Sallah or any other festival or
occasion from politicians and political office holders. Many top editors say a “Yes”. Perhaps the editors are
saying so from their own experiences. They know that journalists can be influenced by these gifts. If one
interviews a politician and he gives one money, it will be hard for such journalist who has received such
money to still maintain objectivity and be fair to his adversaries, because every gift received from a news
source makes the journalist indebted to the news source and unconsciously this debt is paid in the reportage
of the information gotten.

b. Brown Envelope

Stripped of all technicalities, brown envelope in the context of Nigerian journalism is a metaphor for bribery
and corruption. According to Ekerikevwe (2009:50) “Brown envelope is a situation whereby journalists
receive money or other forms of gratification before or after they cover any events or even publish stories
from such events”. Also, Onyisi (1996:80) opines that the concept of “brown envelope is generally used to
refer to the practice of offering and receiving gratifications in the form of money, gift, drinks, food, sex or
money – in order to influence the judgement of a journalist”.

Also, Okoye (2008) describes Brown Envelope as money given to reporters after covering events, press
conferences or interviewing prominent news sources, especially politicians and those in government.
Organizations and individuals justify the giving of brown envelopes to reporters with different reasons;
some say they empathize with reporters who will have to use their personal money to transport themselves
to their various beats while others say they are merely subsidizing or facilitating the movement or reporters
to and from their beats while others call it a public relations strategy.

19
Furthermore, Oshunkeye (2011) observed that cities like Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, Port‐Harcourt, Jos,
Makurdi and Kano express the term brown envelope in catchy phrases such as chope, kua, keske, egunje,
partikola, kola, gbemu, golden handshake, communiqua, communiqué, family support, transport, Ghana
Must Go, the boys are going, and a lot of other terms used to describe or refer to this practice. Relating it to
other countries, Skjerdal and Oshunkeye (2010, as cited in Okoro & Onuoha, 2013:132) asserts that “in
Cameroon, it is known as Gombo or Qua, South Africa knows it as Cheque Book while across many
developed countries in the Europe; it is called Hospitality”. Whatever name it is called, the fact remains that
this menace adversely affects the profession and its practitioners in varying degrees across the world.

By implication, brown envelope entails giving and receiving gratifications that influence to the negative, a
journalist’s sense of news value judgement. The gratification could come in the form of money, gift, items,
food or other unsolicited and/or unmerited favour. Today, brown envelope is being used by cheap publicity
seekers to secure unmerited good press and or to massage their ego. According to Onyisi (1990:81)
whenever cheap publicity seekers gives a journalist brown envelope, there is a “tacit agreement that it is
meant to make the reporter feature the story prominently to over-value the newsworthiness of the event, to
overlook the deficiencies of the convener and, in some cases, to suppress the rival point of view”.

He further identifies three dominant settings under which brown envelopes are usually offered, these are:

 Press conference – a forum where an individual or group (which can be a political organization, an
interest group, government ministry or business group) convening the press conference uses to
“announce a policy, a decision, deny an accusation, clarify an issue, or present an issue before the
public” via the organs of mass media. At the end of the conference, money is usually packaged in an
envelope and distributed to journalists as ‘kola’, ‘transport money’ or appreciation. The snag is that
once a journalist receives such offer, he/she loses his/her sense of news value judgement. The story
that will emerge from such conference will be slanted to suit the interest of the convener who has
paid his/her way through to obtain good press.
 Official tours involving top government officials, captains of industries, leading politicians and
opinion leaders in which the press corps covering the tour is usually treated to free launch and spoilt
with token branded “transport money” or “hospitality allowance” or “public relations” and sundry
terms. Official tours are also referred to as “round tripping”.

20
  Ad hoc entails the irregular use of the mass media to pay certain amounts to sponsor a news story
and insists on how it should be published, with utter disregard to newsworthiness. The story could be
designed to massage the sponsor’s image, assassinate the character of the sponsor’s opponent etc.
this setting is considered ad hoc in the sense that the relationship between the journalist and the
publicity seeker is “ephemeral, hence the need to offer an inducement to have the story published”.

Brown envelope as an ethical blunder lowers media credibility and promotes lack of trust for the journalist.
It most often influences journalists’ sense of news value judgement and leads to brazen compromise and
distortion of facts just to impress the giver. It robs negatively on the public’s right to know as what finally
emerged as news of the day are tainted opinions of the giver of brown envelope rather than public interest-
oriented news sifted and selected on the basis of objectivity, fairness and balance. It also portrays the media
as a cheap instrument of blackmail which not only robs negatively on media credibility, but also promote
insecurity in the land.

Ekeanyanwu & Obianigwe(2012, p.516) observed that:

It is no longer news that the Brown Envelope Syndrome (BES) has
become an albatross for the 21st century Nigerian journalist. It has been
criticized by scholars in the field of mass communication who describe
it as a means of inducing writers and editors with financial gratification
to influence their writings in favour of the givers.

This therefore, means that the Press whose primary responsibility it is to blow the whistle on wrong doings
may not be able to do so. The implication of journalists collecting brown envelopes is that, real news stories
are watered down while irrelevant issues are overblown because the journalist has been compromised. This
also leads to a decline in professionalism and objectivity in journalism since journalists do not honestly and
objectively source for news but attend to the highest bidder.

Conclusively, brown envelope has its root in the culture of presenting kolanuts to visitors, a hospitality
practice common in many African societies. However, with the advent of modernization, this originally
well‐meaning practice has deteriorated in value so badly that it has become a giant monster eating deeply
into the good practice of journalism.

c. Junkets
A junket is a pleasure trip, often funded by someone else. It can be used as a gift to try to get something
from the person going on a trip.
21
According to Okoye (2008) Junkets are free or highly subsidized transport,travel or accommodation tickets.
At times, transport (luxurious buses and airlines) give subsidized or free travel tickets to reporters covering
the transport or aviation beats. Hotels too also sometimes give free or subsidized tickets for accommodation
to tourism reporters. Also, if a government official/politician pays a reporter’s junket to check out a new
project in a particular state within such country, such reporter might feel like he owes Him a good review
which in turn leads to subjective/bias writeup,and same applies also to news selection and judgement.
Also these forms of junkets will automatically affect balanced and objective writings from such reporters
that benefit from them. They will unconsciously launder the image of such organization, water down bad
events or kill such stories altogether.Though junkets is mostly but not always devious, it would be illogical
to not consider it a menace under the forms of gratifications in the practice of modern journalism and in the
process of news selection.

2.3Theoretical Framework
A theory is a prediction of how events and actions are related. Theory is a contemplative and rational type
of abstract or generalized thinking, or the results of such thinking. Depending on the context, the results
might for example include generalized explanations of how something works.
Theories are nets cast to catch what we call the world. It helps us understand or explain the phenomena we
observe in the social world.According to McQuail(2005:14), “theories are not only a system of law-like
propositions, but as any systematic set of ideas that can help make sense of a phenomenon, guide action or
predict a consequence”.

Theories are ways of explaining phenomena. Ethical theories are ways of explaining ethical orientations.
Different people are likely to behave differently when faced with the same ethical situation. This is because
of their divergent ethical orientations. An individual’s ethical orientation is responsible for his ethical
response. This is why it is necessary to understand ethical theories. Okunna(2003:9) points out that “ethical
theories generally attempt to do one or a combination of the following: explain, describe, prescribe or
predict ethical behaviour or standards”. Elaborately, he added that they are explanatory when they give
reasons why humans take whatever moral decisions in their dealing with others. They are descriptive when
they tell us the nature of ethics in general. They are prescriptive when they stipulate how people should
behave in ethical situations. They are predictive if they indicate how people are likely to behave under
certain situations.
22
From the above explanations therefore, two major theories of mass communication would be provided as
framework on this study. These theories include:
1. Deontological theory
2. Teleological theory

2.3.1 Deontological Theory

Deontological theory is a theory that emphasizes duty, it was propounded by Immanuel Kant in 1788.
Deontological theory is also referred to as duty-based theory. In other words, this theory does not emphasize
the consequences of our moral actions but the action in itself. Therefore, the scholars that hold this view are
known as non-consequentialists and absolutists.

By being a duty-based theory, it enjoins people to act according to the principle of morality, truth and
according to certain accepted standards of a society. Every society has accepted standard of behaviour and
this standard of behaviour has corresponding duties that people must obey. Hence, we can judge the
behaviour of an individual in a society as either right or wrong, according to whether or not the individual
behaves based on obligation in performing the duty. In other words, Deontological theory emphasizes moral
duties that are expected of everyone and gives little regard to the consequences resulting from those duties.

Futhermore, this theory believes that the consequences of our action are not as important as our action itself.
Invariably therefore, we should not behave as a result of our own inclination (prudence action), rather our
action must be motivated by our desire and the need to carry out certain moral principles/duties. These
duties are sacred and in all circumstances must be carried out. Individuals have obligation to carry out these
duties, irrespective of the circumstance or consequence.

Deontological theory also emphasizes the motives of our actions; the motive must be based on the
acceptance of the duty to act rather than just performing the act. Hence, the intent of an act is as important
as the act itself. That is why Bowie(2002:59) added that “it is the intention behind an action rather than its
consequences that makes that action good”.

Mitcham(2002:1) opines that “Deontology refers to an ethical or moral theory that defines right action in
terms of duties and moral rules”. He further posed that there are three central questions that deontological
theory of ethics must answer.

23
First, what is the content of duty? Which rules guide us to morally right action?
Secondly, why must we follow exactly those duties and rules, and not others? That refers to what grounds
these rules are validated as moral requirements.

Thirdly, what is the logic of these duties or rules? Can their claims on us be delayed or defeated? Can the
claims on us be conflicting? Schumann(2001:9) posits that “the morally correct action is the one that a
person has the moral right to do, that does not infringe on the moral rights of others, and that it furthers the
moral rights of others”.

In applying this to the practice of journalism and the process of news selection, it simply infer that journalist
should act according to the ethics of the profession because these are the laid down rules created and meant
to be followed and observed to the latter in the practice of the profession without regards to the
consequences embedded in following these ethics. Acting according to the principle of fairness, truth and
balance, and objectivity is the hallmark of the profession of journalism which is the accepted standard of
behavior, and this standard of behaviour has corresponding duties that must be carried out which include
seeking diligently for information, reporting information without bias to any party and other duties and also,
not expecting to receive gratification of any sort for duties carried out, because this gratification in a way or
the other whether knowingly or unknowingly hinders the core values of journalism which include
objectivity, fairness and balance.

The best way for a journalist to resolve conflict of interest when they occur is by asking the following
questions before publishing an information:

 Is it true?

 Will it bring goodwill?

Conclusively, social actors should act based on (DEON) i.e. moral duties that are expected of everyone and
that the intentions of moral actors matter as much as the actions themselves with no regards to the
consequences resulting from those actions.

2.3.2 Teleological theory

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Teleological theory is based on the outcome of the actions of the moral actors; it emphasizes the
consequences of our moral actions. It was propounded by a German philosopher known as Christian Van
Wolf.This theory emphasizes the consequences of our actions, rather than the actions themselves.
Invariably, we measure and judge the rightness or wrongness of our actions based on their consequences.
Teleological theory deemphasizes the motive behind our actions; rather, it places emphasis and priority on
the consequences that our actions produce.

Day(2006:62) opines that “teleological theory is predicated on the notion that the ethically correct decision
is the one that produces the best consequence”. This opinion is without emphasizes on the motive behind the
action but rather, it is the outcome of the action that matters the most. Okunna(2003:21) defines it “in terms
of the good produced as the consequences of an action”. She stated further that in any situation, one should
calculate the possible consequences of performing various actions relevant to that situation and choose the
one that will produce the greatest ratio of good over evil.

Succinctly, teleological theory ethically evaluates and judges our action as right or wrong on the basis of
whether the action produces a favourable consequence or not.

According to Rosenbery and Victor (2009) there are two branches under the teleological theory and these
are:
1. Egoists (Egoism)
2. Utilitarianists (Utilitarianism)
a. Egoism
Thisbranch spells out the principle that individuals should maximize the consequences of their actions
for their benefit. In other words, egoism is about self-interest i.e. individuals should seek self interest in
whatever they do and they should prioritize the benefit they can obtain from engaging in certain
actions. This branch states that we can justify our action/behaviour based on the benefit we derive from
it as long as it is satisfactory to one’s interest or it benefits one the most.

In relating egoism to the practice of journalism, there is the presumption that newsmakers give gifts to
journalists because it will grant them favour before the journalists, and on the other hand, journalists receive
gifts from newsmakers because they believe that receiving them is in their own best interest, in the sense
that it will bring a level of satisfaction and pleasure especially that which comes as a result of the possession
of an object or entity.

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b. Utilitarianism

This emphasizes that our actions must be geared towards bringing the greatest good to the greatest number
of people. It believes that the good of the greatest number of people which includes their satisfaction is what
matters the most and our actions must therefore be geared towards making this a reality.It claims that our
actions should be judged therefore on how it affects the generality of people and not based on the
satisfaction of one individual.

Schumann(2001) added that an act is morally acceptable if it produces the greatest net benefit to society as a
whole. On this basis, it is most appealing because it gives us the best and simplest way of judging our action
and also making choices, because it provides a framework by which we can analyze our actions in terms of
the benefit and the harm that it will cause to people. Then assist in choosing the action that will bring the
greatest benefit to the greatest number of people.
In addition, Bentham (1907, as cited in Velasquez, 2001: 8) says:
By utility is meant that property in any object, whereby it tends to
produce benefit, advantage, pleasure, good, or happiness or to prevent
the happening of mischief, pain, evil, or unhappiness to the party
whose interest is considered: if that party be the community in general,
then the happiness of the community; if a particular individual, then
the happiness of that individual.

Conclusively, Teleological theory as a whole prioritizes the interest of the public

rather than the interest of individuals. Journalists use this theory to justify most of
their actions and so the best way to make decisions is to ask these questions when
confronted with such scenerio:

 Is it fair to all concerned?

 Will it be beneficial to the greatest number of people?

 Will it bring goodwill to the society at large?

2.4 Empirical Studies

Nwabueze(2010) worked on the perception of Nigerian journalists about brown envelopes and the need for
ethical re-orientation. The study was aimed at finding out from practicing journalists what their perception
of the brown envelope syndrome is, including their views regarding why the syndrome has continued to

26
exist in the profession. The study employed survey research design. The major findings show that the basic
reason behind the continued existence of the syndrome in journalism is the orientation of journalists. Most
of the journalists see nothing wrong with the acceptance of brown envelopes. The study recommended that
the welfare of professionals should be improved to bring about a change in their perception and attitude
towards the acceptance of brown envelopes.

Ebosie(2012) in her study shows that an average journalist earns one-tenth of what their counterparts in
other professions such as law and medicine earn, regardless of the numerous hazards associated with media
job; and in addition to the fact that media workers are perhaps the only one specifically charged by the
constitution with specific obligations. The work further revealed that it is perhaps the present remunerations
level of media workers that encourage unethical practices of gratification such as “brown envelope” in the
profession which serves as breeding ground for other unethical practices in the profession such as
subjectivity, bias, etc. leading to the loss of the value of journalism such as fairness, balance, truth and
objectivity. The above findings show that with proper motivation through regular, timely and adequate
remunerations, media workers would definitely shun the ‘brown envelope’ syndrome and render better
services, not only to their media organizations, but to the society in general.

Kasoma(2008) studied the Zambian public relations (PR) practitioner’s perspectives on “brown envelopes”
and freebies with the main objective of examining the phenomenon from the perspective of PR
practitioners. In-depth interviews conducted with 15 PR practitioners in Zambia showed that while they
perceived “brown envelopes” as unethical, unprofessional and detested any association with them, they
were surprisingly responsive to freebies. The reason for their responsiveness was:
(1) PR practitioners perceived freebies as an inevitable offshoot of the interdependent relationship they
shared with journalists
(2) PR practitioners perceived freebies as part of their news management function(3) PR practitioners
perceived freebies as an instrument in achieving their boundary spanning role.

Another study was conducted by Okoro & Ugwuanyi (2006) on brown envelope syndrome and mass media
objectivity in Nigeria. They sought to find out if journalists in Nigeria accept brown envelopes and if such
action affects journalists’ social responsibility and objectivity in reporting. Their findings revealed that
journalists in Nigeria accept brown envelopes because of poor conditions of service and lack of adherence
to ethical standards. They also found out that such actions affect t mass media objectivity negatively. The
27
study recommended, among others, that the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and other relevant
agencies should ensure strict application and compliance to professional ethics and standards by practicing
journalists.

Similarly, Licadho(2008) conducted a survey on brown envelope among journalists and found that
journalists are aware that receiving cash in exchange for news coverage is unethical. But respondents of the
survey had the opinion that accepting freebies, lunch and paid trips is acceptable and it does not
compromise their editorial independence. Various reasons for receiving these gifts were given by the
journalists and these reasons range from poor remuneration to lack of welfare package for journalists in the
industry to Government and media proprietors influence etc.

Furthermore, Okoro & Onuoha(2013) carried out a research on Journalists’ acceptance of rewards and
gratifications and its implication on news writing and reporting. From their research, they observed that the
reason for the acceptance of rewards and gratification is greatly influenced by the poor salary scheme, and
also because most journalists have the orientation that there is nothing wrong with collecting it. This
phenomenon has a lot of implication on news reportage. The truth is that, every human being with a
conscience will want to remain in the favour of his source, so he will be bound to writing the news report in
such a way that would be pleasing and favourable to his source because of the gift he has collected.

Weaver(1998) conducted a renowned worldwide survey of journalism profiles and attitudes, the survey
discovered that three quarters of South Korean journalists confessed that brown envelope Syndrome existed
in their media operations. However, less than a half of the respondents testified that they had been accepting
cash in exchange for news coverage referred to as “chonji”.

Similarly, Ukpabu(2001) in his study found out that only 30% of Nigerian journalists believe bribes should
never be accepted. Overall, what these data imply is that a liberalized media culture is not a guarantee for
the eradication of journalistic bribery.

Scholars such as (Kasoma, 2000), (Mfumbusa, 2006), and (Uko, 2004) maintain that brown envelope
jeopardizes the quality of journalism as it destroys objectivity, which is the Centre of good journalism
practice. These scholars are of the view that it is difficult to attain objectivity in journalism under the
environment of brown envelope.

28
Furthermore, as Birhanu(2010) has argued, brown envelope syndrome poses a serious challenge to editorial
independence and integrity in media houses and it propagates bribery, undermines freedom of the press.
Brown envelopes contravene codes of ethics, which emphasize fairness, editorial independence and
impartiality in covering and reporting news and facts from sources.

From the perspective above, it is clear that quite often, those journalists who accept brown envelopes,
freebies, junkets and other forms of gratifications defend their actions with statements such as ‘if you do not
eat, you would not stop them from eating; if you do not eat, you starve; if you cannot beat them, join them;
eat or you will be eaten”, etc. In other words, journalists encourage themselves to make money on their own
in whatever manner they deem fit, thereby propagating brown envelope syndrome in journalism.

Conclusively, all forms of gratification (brown envelope, freebies and junkets) are ethical blunders and not a
fortune as it impedes the integrity of journalism. It stands against the core values of journalism and should
therefore be avoided. This is because the gifts compromise the integrity of journalists thereby seducing them
into acting unethically.

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CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.1Introduction

This chapter focuseson the method, strategy, process with which the study was being investigated, in terms
of the research methodology which gives the blueprint of how the research was carried out. A Methodology
does not set out to provide solutions but offers the theoretical underpinning for understanding which method
can be applied to a specific case.
In this project, the following processes was being undertaken in conducting the research:

3.2 Research Design

Research design is a basic plan that guides data collection and the analysis phase of any research work. It
can be regarded as the frame-work which specifies the type of information to be gathered including the
sources of data and the procedure used in collecting them. According to Babbie (2001)research design is the
process of specifying exactly who and what to be studied, when, how and for what purpose. Hence, the
research design for this work was survey and interview under quantitative research strategy and qualitative
research strategy respectively.
According to Kerlinger (1973, as cited in Silverman, 2000) survey is “the process of collecting data from a
population or a sample drawn from a population with the purpose of investigating relative incidence,
occurrence or inter-relationship among variables of a natural phenomenon.” It is the appropriate design to
investigate the opinion, perception, attitude and behavior of a group of people about a particular
phenomenon. Survey design was rightly selected because it is the best method to collect data from a large
population that cannot be observed directly.

3.3 Population

Ogunjimi(2001:79) notes that “population covers all members or elements of a well-defined group”. It
refers to the universe, the entire group whose characteristics are to be examined. Olayiwola (2007) also
describes population as a group of interest to the researcher. It comprises a group to which the result or
outcome of a study become generally stable.

30
This research was based on the impact of gratification on news coverage/selection in the practice of
journalism. Therefore, the population for this research included all journalists in Lagos Stateespecially those
that constantly go out on the coverage of events and beats.

3.4 Sample Size

This is the sub-set of the total population that the researcher works with directly. According to Olayiwola
(2007) it is a subset of a population selected to meet specific research objectives.
In this research, the sample size for this study includes 72 respondents from 2 media organizations in Lagos
state. These are: Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and The Nation Newspaper.

3.5 Sampling Technique

In this research for the purpose of selecting a sample size that is relevant to the study, purposive sampling
technique wasused. Purposive sampling is when a researcher handpicks respondents based on some
characteristics, this is consistent with what Kishwar (2009)notes that purposive sampling technique allows
the researcher to choose a portion of the universe that he thinks are more representative of the population.
The Journalists was selected to answer the questionnaires provided. Also, for the interview, purposive
sampling technique was employed in selecting the respondents.

3.6 Research Instruments

The data collection instrument includes a questionnaire and interview guide. Ekeh (2003) notes that
questionnaire is the most suitable instrument for collecting data in a survey or cross-sectional descriptive
research. The questionnaire was well constructed and structured with close-ended questions such that it
elicits desired and verifiable responses that facilitated the success of the research. The interview guide,
which Kishwar(2009) submits as a direct method of inquiry was also adopted. The interview guide was
appropriately constructed such that it allows respondents to respond freely to the questions in relation to the
phenomenon that is being investigated.
Invariably, the manifest contents of the sampled opinions was used. There is no identification of respondent
as reporters job may be at stake.

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3.7 Validity and Reliability of the Instruments

Validity and reliability are two important concepts in Mass Communication research. It is important to
know that every instrument used in a research work is of great importance. This is because it provides a
conclusion for the research which other researchers will rely on. Rosenbery & Vicker (2009) defined
validity as the degree to which the instrument actually measures what it is supposed to measure and can be
extended to cases outside the test set. Osuala (2005) however, puts it that the subject of validity is complex
and controversial but of great importance in research. Tejumaiye (2003) corroborates this describing
validity “as the degree to which a measuring instrument measures what is designed to measure”.
Conclusively an instrument is valid when it is said to have measured what it has been designed to measure.
On the other hand, reliability is concerned with accuracy. According to Amusan(2004) a measuring
instrument is said to be reliable if it measures consistently, under varying conditions and at different times a
person’s performance or trait. Tejumaiye (2003) puts it as “a matter of whether a particular technique
applied repeatedly to the same people or object would yield the same result each time”. Summarily,
accuracy and consistency gives birth to a reliable instrument.

Consequently, validity and reliability cannot be overlooked. Therefore, to ensure that the instruments truly
measures what they are designed to measure, questionnaire was created based on the research questions and
the research objectives and was administered in a non-bias manner.
For the second instrument which is the interview, the questions wasalso formulated based on the research
questions and objectives to maintain validity.

3.8Method of Data Collection

Considering the nature of the research, two methods was being used expectedly which is the survey and
interview. The questionnaires was self-administered by the researcher i.e. the researcher distributes the
questionnaire to the respondents to fill them after which they werecollected. Also, the interview included
face-to-face and unstructured interview of respondents.

32
3.9Method of Data Analysis

Data analysis consists of categorizing, organizing, measuring, and evaluating the data gotten in order to
make sense out of it by extracting information that are relevant to the propositions of the study. In this
research, descriptive statistics was employed in analyzing research findings so as to present data in a
convenient and detailed form. Tables of frequency and percentages were used to give quantitative analysis
of the facts gathered from the questionnaires administered on the respondents. This was used to represent
the data to enhance better understanding of the data being analyzed.

The conducted interviews was transcribed and used to provide a stronger and more descriptive and
expository ground for the qualitative aspect of the study, to enhance a contextual understanding of the
phenomenon of study.

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CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS

4.0 Introduction

This chapter is an analysis of all the data gathered in the course of this study. Survey and interview are the
primary methods of data gathering. The study assessed the level of awareness of journalists on gratification
in the practice of journalism, what promotes gratification and how it affects objectivity and compliance to
the ethics of the profession.

4.1 Demographics details.

Two media organisations within Lagos were purposively chosen as the sample population for this research.
72 journalists were randomly picked from these organisations based on their staff strength. 20 persons who
constantly go out for assignments were interviewed from each organization.

A total of seventy two (72) copies of questionnaires were administered by the researcher and 72
representing 100% were retrieved; these constitute the response rate which is relatively high. The analysis
of this study, therefore, is based on the 72 copies of questionnaires retrieved by the researcher as well as the
interviews of the 20 reporters who constantly go out on assignment.

Table 4.2: The Gender of respondents.

Gender Frequency Percentage

Male 42 58.3

Female 30 41.7
Total 72 100.0

Table 4.2 above shows the distribution of respondents according to their gender. It shows that 42
respondents constituting (58.3%) of the total respondents were male which is higher than the 30 respondents
which formed (41.7%) of the total respondents that were female.

34
 Table 4.3: The age bracket of respondents.

Age bracket Frequency Percentage

18-22 7 9.7

23-27 26 36.1

28-32 28 38.9

33 and above 11 15.3

Total 72 100.0

Table 4.3 above shows that the age bracket of Journalists in Lagos range from 28-32 years old who were 28
in number and they constitute (38.9%) of the total respondents. Following closely is 23-27 years old who
were 26 in number, they represent (36.1%) of the total respondents. Next is 33 and above, they were 11 in
number, they constitute (15.3%) of the total respondents and lastly is the age range between 18-22 years,
they were 7 in number and they represent (9.7%) of the total respondents.

Table 4.4: Demographics for interviewees

Name Gender Organisation

Respondent 1 Male NTA Lagos
Respondent 2 Female NTA Lagos
Respondent 3 Female NTA Lagos
Respondent 4 Male NTA Lagos
Respondent 5 Male NTA Lagos
Respondent 6 Female The Nation Newspaper
Respondent 7 Female The Nation Newspaper

35
Respondent 8 Male The Nation Newspaper
Respondent 9 Male The Nation Newspaper
Respondent 10 Male The Nation Newspaper
Respondent 11 Male Freelance Journalist
Respondent 12 Female Freelance Journalist
Respondent 13 Female Freelance Journalist
Respondent 14 Male Freelance Journalist
Respondent 15 Male Freelance Journalist
Respondent 16 Male Freelance Journalist
Respondent 17 Female Freelance Journalist
Respondent 18 Female Freelance Journalist
Respondent 19 Male Freelance Journalist
Respondent 20 Male Freelance Journalist

Table 4.4 above shows the number of interviewees for different organization. 20 interviews were taken
which is due to the strength and response of staff from each organization. It is imperative to note that the
interviewees asked for anonymity before the interviews were made and as such was respected.

4.5 Presentation and Analysis Based on Research Questions

RQ1: What is the purpose of gratification that journalists receive?

To answer this question, items3,7 & 8 in the interview guide and item 5 in the questionnaire were used.

The interviewees actually reacted both positively and negatively on the purpose for accepting gratification
and their struggle to comply with the ethics of journalism profession. Respondent 1 of Nigeria Television
Authority in his words says “I do believe the reason why journalists accept gifts and gratifications while
discharging their duty is because it serves as a source of extra income as opposed to their meagre earnings”

Respondent 7 of the Nation Newspaper corroborated respondent 1 as She puts it that:

Due to the way the economy is, journalists receive gratification in any form

36
 from their news sources because it helps alongside their salary to make ends
meet. Though it is not the right thing to do as it goes against the core ethics
of journalism and we also have a lot of journalists who do because they
believe it is a means of saying ‘thank you’ by their news source.
Also, Respondent 10 of the Nation Newspaper emphasized that He doesn’t understand the purpose why
journalists accept gratification nor justify their actions. According to him,“it is not ethically right to expect
or collect gifts from news sources as this only make the journalist subjective in writing, and I believe they
should be content with their remuneration and added incentives”.

Although, there were some respondents who did not state the purpose for accepting gratification, But
claimed they do not perceive gratification as ethically bad, rather, they see it as means of appreciation as
respondent 2 tagged it ‘thank you for coming’ which he says is African way of saying ‘thank you’ while
some respondents were indifferent about it.

Respondent 8 of the Nation Newspaper in his words also said:

I just feel it is unavoidable/necessary sometimes for the journalists because

the station might not create some logistics needed like free ride,and other
necessities needed for efficient and effective reportorial. I only collect gifts
that look harm-free and not harmful.
Respondents 5, 14, 15 and 19 also opined that no reason is justifiable as a purpose for collecting
gratification from news sources and instead the practice of brown envelope and freebies should be shunned
as it corrupts the core values of the profession. This is seen in table 4.5below.

Table 4.6: Purpose of gratification journalists receive

Variables Frequency Percentage

Source of income 13 18.0

Unethical 37 51.4

Unavoidable/Necessity 13 18.0

Indifferent 9 12.5

Others NIL 0

37
Total 72 100.0

The table above shows that a total of 37 (51.4%) were of the opinion that no purpose is justifiable as it is
unethical to collect any form of gratification from news sources as a journalist, 13 (18.0%) says it serves as
an additional source of income to them to meet ends meet, 13 (18.0%) of the respondents agreed that it is
unavoidable and is a basic necessity for journalists while the remaining 9 (12.5%) respondents are of the
view that they are indifferent towards it.

From the above analysis, it can be seen that Journalists are torn between the purpose of why gratification are
accepted and this clearly shows why it should be frowned at as no reason is considered justifiable regardless
of how it appears.

RQ2:To what extent does gratification influence a journalists’ sense of news selection?
To answer this question, items 4 & 6 in the interview guide and item 2 in the questionnaire were used.
In answering this question, most of the journalists were of the opinion that collecting gratification does not
influence a journalist’s sense of news selection negatively, rather, it affects it positively because it boosts
their morale when writing. From that opinion, one would therefore, wonder what boosting of morale means
if it is not going to benefit the news sources. Respondent 4, a journalist from Nigerian Television Authority
(NTA) said that what boosting of morale means to her is that it encourages her to write the story because
there is a sense of enthusiasm which is as a result of the gift that was given by the source. However, she
further said “in a way, it may change the angle from which the story is written, for example, it could enact
sympathy instead of anger over a bad situation”.

Table 4.7: The extent to which gratification influences journalists

Variables Frequency Percentage
Great extent 28 38.9
Very Great extent 26 36.1
Little extent 6 8.3
Very little extent 9 12.5
Neutral 3 4.1|
Total 72 100.0

38
As shown above, from responses by respondents concerning whether gratification influences journalist’s
report negatively or positively, the table shows that journalist’s news is affected more negatively than
positively when given any form of gratification. It shows that a total of 72 (100%) respondents of the
sample size accepted whether or not gratification affects a journalist’s sense of news selection, this 72 has
28 (38.9%) respondents who believes it is to a great extent and 26 (36.1%) who agreed that it is to a very
great extent. 6 (8.3%) respondents strongly believes it is to a little extent and 9 (12.5%) of them says it is to
a very little extent while the remaining 3 (4.1%) were neutral.

It also shows that journalists are aware that gratification is an unfavourable phenomenon in journalism and
that it does not have a positive influence on the journalist but forces them to be indebted to the news sources
and this encourages news commercialization and news subjectivity.

RQ3: What are the factors responsible for the reception of gratification among journalists?

This research question is answered by items1 & 2 in the interview guide and item1 in the questionnaire. The
result from the various answers given by interviewees shows that poor remuneration is a major contributing
factor to why gratification thrives in Nigeria as opposed to Greed, Pressure from Bosses and Economic
issues. This is seen in table 4.8 below.

Table 4.8: Reason for accepting gifts from my news sources

Variables Frequency Percentage

Poor remuneration 34 47.2

Greed 16 22.2

Pressure from Bosses 6 8.3

Economic issues 7 9.7

Others 9 12.5

Total 72 100.0

39
The table above shows that a total 34 respondents were of the opinion that poor remuneration is the major
reason most journalists engage in collecting gratification (brown envelopes) from their news sources. Out of
the 72 respondents, 34 (47.2%) respondents agreed with poor remuneration, 16 (22.2%) respondents agreed
with Greed as a reason for it, 6 (8.3%) respondents believes it is due to pressure from bosses, 7(9.7%)
respondents agreed with economic issues as a factor, and the remaining 9(12.5%) respondents accepted with
other reasons like inability to say NO and Personal inclination.

Also, during the interview sessions, some journalists’ respondents said that poor remuneration is the reason
most of them expect or accept gifts of any kind from news sources. Most of the interviewees posited that
they are not being paid well and they are not being paid on time and the only other means of sustenance is to
accept whatever gifts their news sources.

An interviewee from the Nation Newspaper asserted in his words that:

In the past few years, the issue of poor salary has affected the professional
capacity of the media and this to a large extent affect how journalists carry out
their duties.
However, there were some journalists who were of the opinion that the reason they accept gratification is
because they perceive it as a means of appreciation from the news sources, and that they deserve that much.

Another respondent a freelance journalist said:

that people’s needs increase every day and the need for these needs to be
satisfied is what pushes most people to defy the ethics of journalism by
accepting brown envelopes from their news sources.
Respondent 7 in her words said “whether I am paid or not, journalism has been a passion to me and it is
with this passion that I do my work”.

Therefore, these responses suggest that perhaps if journalists’ salary was increased then gratification might
experience a downward slope.

RQ 4: Which types of gratification do journalist receive from citizen?

This research question is answered by item 5 on the interview guide anditem 4 in the questionnaire. The
result from the various answers given by interviewees shows that “brown envelope” is the most conversant
type of gratification that appeals to journalist in the course of news coverage/selection and this particular
type thrives in the field of journalism in Nigeria as opposed to other forms. This is seen in table 4.9 below.

40
Table 4.9: Types of gratification in journalism in Lagos State

Variables Frequency Percentage

Brown envelope 46 63.9

Freebies 13 18.1

Round tripping/junkets 3 4.2

Contracts 8 11.1

Others 2 2.8

Total 72 100.0

The table 4.9above shows the responses from respondents about the types of gratification and whether it can
be discouraged in journalism or not. From their responses, one can see that more journalists are well
acquainted with brown envelope and freebiesand are of the opinion that gratification can be reduced in
journalism. This shows that gratification in its different forms has been perceived to be an unfavourable
phenomenon.

Also of the concern on ways that gratification can be reduced or discouraged in journalism, one of the
interviewees (a freelancer) stated:

Journalists should be exposed properly to the ethics of the profession, the

regulatory bodies should make provisions for punishment of offenders, also,
journalists’ salaries and allowances should be increased to make them
comfortable enough and willing to perform their duties. I think if these can be
done, then gratification can be kissed goodbye in journalism.

Another freelance journalistinterviewee also said:

Gratification should be made a public knowledge through jingles and adverts and
prospective news sources be advised not to offer gifts to journalists as anything
they do is an extension of their duties.

41
Furthermore, a journalist from NTA interviewee also made a suggestion, she said:

other forms of allowances should be paid to journalists apart from their salary,
this would cover other expenses they incur during work such as transportation
and hotel accommodation allowances, this would cover their needs which is the
major reason some journalists accept gifts from their news sources.
From the different responses by the different respondents and interviewees, it is quite obvious that a lot of
journalists strongly believe that gratification can be discouraged in journalism if some measures are taken
and some necessary provisions made.

4.10 Discussion of Findings

The primary objective of this research revolves around establishing a relationship between gratification and
its impact on journalism. It also examines how poor remuneration encourages this practice among
journalists. Also, it examines the kind of stories churned out to the society as the issue of brown envelope
and freebies tends to have a relationship with objectivity.

By and large, findings from this study suggest that journalists in Lagos have a favourable perception to
journalistic ethics and even see it as important. They are very knowledgeable about gratification and the
impact it has on the ethics of journalism. Table 4.6 states that majority of them which constitute 46 (63.9%)
are of the opinion that gratification is a menace to journalism and should be discouraged. Although, about
26 (36.1%) do not see the feasibility of gratification being discouraged or reduced but the majority which
were 46 (63.9%) were of the opinion that it can actually be reduced. Also, all the interviewees backed up the
fact that journalism ethics is important in the practice as it helps guide the running of the profession and the
duty of every journalist as it enables them to better understand their profession and how much it affects
every member of the society.

Also, table 4.8 shows that poor remuneration is the major reason why journalist engage themselves in the
practice of gratification and journalists are paid meagre amount of money as salary without any form of
allowance which is an important requirement in journalism as most journalists serve as correspondences of
their organization in other countries and therefore, need allowance for accommodation, transportation and a
lot of others if need be. One of the interviewees from the Nation Newspaper puts it thus: “…There are
private and public organizations, this particular one is a government organisation and they pay poorly”.

42
Another interviewee from NTA said: “other forms of allowances should be paid to journalists apart from
their salary.”

Furthermore, Table 4.7 shows clearly that gratification influences a journalist negatively to a large extent in
the course of news selection, which means that when a journalist collects money or gift of any sort from a
news source, such journalist becomes indebted to the news source and therefore sees the need to return the
kind gesture of the news source, and the only way to pay back this favour is by making sure it reflects in the
report written by the journalist. As expressed by one of the interviewees, he said: “in a way, it may change
the angle from which the story is written, for example, it could enact sympathy instead of anger over a bad
situation”. This shows that once a journalist receives gifts from his or her news sources, such journalist
would feel obligated to reciprocate the gesture of the source.
The table also shows that 54 (75%) of the questionnaire respondents support the submission that
gratification affects news reportage negatively, while only 15 (20.8%) disagree with the submission, the
remaining 3 (4.1%) were neutral. This simply shows that the knowledge that gratification does not support
the ethics of journalism is not far-fetch judging from the number of respondents who agree to the
submission that gratification has negative effect on news reportage.

Also, table 4.9shows that due to the perception that gratification is a menace to journalism, it calls for the
need of it to be exiled which 2 (2.8%) of the journalists perceive as impossible but their population is very
low compared to the 46 (63.9%) of the journalists who are of the opinion that gratification can actually be
reduced in journalism and these journalists also suggested measures that could be taken to bring about the
extinction of gratification and the brown envelope syndrome and gratification, this they believe would bring
about a new and better face for journalism In Nigeria. These measures include:
1. Increment in journalists’ remuneration/salary.
2. Journalists should be educated and exposed to the ethics of the profession.
3. Journalist training should be the first objective of organization for their new staff.
4. Allowances should be paid to journalists apart from their salary, as this would cover other expenses
journalists incur during assignments.
5. Regulatory bodies should make provision for punishment of erring journalists.
6. Seminars and workshops should be organized by media houses to sensitize their staff on the evil
effect of gratification.

43
 7. Jingles and adverts should be constantly aired to sensitize the public especially news sources on why
they should not offer journalists gifts for attending their events as they are only performing their
duties.

In conclusion, from the discussion of the data collected for the purpose of this research, it has been
established that gratification in journalism has been in existence from the very beginning especially during
the era of the populist press when journalists were more mercantilist; the populists were only interested in
making money. This form of journalism was carried into the era of corporate press which extends to the
contemporary era where news commercialization and brown envelope journalism is the order of the day.
Even though this practice has long been in existence, most journalists understand the effect of this practice
on journalism as they know that it does not encourage good journalism but promotes the vices in the
practice such as bias and news subjectivity, it is established through this research that gratification affects
news reportage by journalists because journalists would feel indebted to the news sources and the urge to
return the favour that has been done to them by news sources would be a driving force for the journalist or
as one of the interviewees said “it boosts one’s morale to write the story”. As much as some journalists have
the opinion that gratification is not a bad phenomenon in journalism, majority have the knowledge that the
opposite is the case and they see the possibility of it being discouraged. Majority of the journalists are also
of the opinion that the reason gratification and brown envelope journalism thrive is because of the poor
remuneration system, most interviewees suggested that journalists’ salary should be increased, that way,
journalists would be satisfied with their earning and would not see the need to expect or accept gifts from
their sources. Therefore, gratification is an unfavourable phenomenon in journalism as it has negative
effects on the practice of journalism in Nigeria.

44
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary
This study focuses on investigating the perception of journalists concerning brown envelope, freebies and
junkets and how much it affects the ethics of their practice especially in the aspect of objectivity and
fairness. The research also established a relationship between poor salary scheme, gratification as well as
ethical compliance.

Existing discourses were reviewed, and they point to the fact that journalists have high regards for ethics,
and whether brown envelope is collected or not, it does not affect the objectivity of their story. Their
responses make media ethics a concept that cannot be done without in the running of the day to day
activities in any media organisation.

This study used quantitative and qualitative methods in an effort to increase the validity of research findings
by comparing multiple forms of data and seeking convergence in the findings. In-depth interview was
conducted with a sample of twenty (20) interviewees and a survey was conducted with a sample size of
seventy two (72) journalists who work for media organization. The data gotten were statistically analysed
which helped the researcher to establish relationship between the different variables.

Findings generated from the research reveal that, it is true that journalists know what gratification is and
have high knowledge of the effect it has on media ethics but when they go out for the coverage of their beats
and assignments and they expose them to the unethical behaviour of collecting gratification in form of
brown envelopes or freebies, most of them fall by the road side. The research further reveals that these
journalists provide different excuse as reasons why they accept these gifts, these reasons include poor
salary, individual perception of gratification etc.

5.2 Conclusion

45
Apparently, gratification has a non-beneficial and an unfavourable outcome, and even the respondents agree
with that. The bulk of the interviewees and the survey respondents agree that gratification is an
unprofessional, unethical and unacceptable practice in journalism and that it affects a journalist’s sense of
news selection negatively relegating the main stay of journalism which is objectivity and truth. In addition,
all respondents displayed a high level of awareness on gratification, only very few do not see anything
wrong in the practice.

Furthermore, based on the research findings, the conclusion is that, gratification affects a journalist’s news
objectivity because the journalist would want to report the event in such a way that it favours and pleases
the news source. It also establishes that poor salary affects the ethical compliance of journalists to their
profession as regarding the collection of brown envelope. This means that the brown envelopes, junkets,
freebies etc. would not be poking its head like an incurable plaque in the practice of journalism if journalists
were well paid.

5.3 Recommendations
This section of the project provides solutions to the problem studied based on research findings, and also
make suggestion for future researchers who would be interested in developing on this study or conducting
research on related issues.

The findings from this research suggest several courses of action, it recommends that media organisations
should pay more attention to the renumeration of their journalists and to make sure that their salaries are
well paid and paid on time. It is believed that when renumerations are good enough, Journalists would desist
from the expectation and collection of gratification from news sources.

However, pending on when salaries will be improved upon, it is important to note that an image is better
than riches. Hence, journalists should beware of receiving gifts as it paints the profession cheap in the sight
of the public, hence, making the masses doubt media content and the press’ responsibility.

More opportunities should be provided for media professionals to learn about the ethics of their profession
including gratification and how it affects media ethics especially in the aspect of objectivity and fairness.
Media regulatory bodies should also keep up their work and be at their best when it comes to the monitoring
of broadcast and newspaper outlets.
46
5.4 Suggestions for further studies
Through this research, some questions that beg to be answered have emerged calling for the need for further
investigation.

From the survey, some of the respondents answered that the collection of gratification does not affect their
news selection/coverage in anyway. The researcher suggests that further study should be conducted on why
gratification has no effect of some journalists’ sense of news selection.

Also, a research with a larger representative sample is called for to better understand the effect of
gratification on the practice of journalism in Nigeria as this research was limited to Lagos, and media
regulatory bodies should also be included in the sample population.

The researcher hopes that this study will spur up more research on media practices, gratification, how it
affect the ethics of journalism especially in Nigeria, and ways by which it can be discouraged, as little has
been done in that regards. The media is socially responsible and are easily believed by the masses hence, it
is a necessity that they are frequently checked so as to promote social utility and justice.

47
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WEB MATERIALS

Agbese, D. (2010). Problem of ethics and journalism in Nigeria. A paper presented at the Workshop
organized by the Rivers State council of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Port Harcourt, March 4, 2014.
Retrieved February 16, 2014, from http://thetidenewsonline.com/2010/03/18/problem-of-ethics-and-
jouralism-in-nigeria.

Danladi, K. (2008). Choppe Syndrome in Nigerian journalism. Retrieved from

http://www.saharareporters.com on June 14, 2014.

Maharaj, D. (2003). A good scoop in Nigeria fills reporter s purse. Retrieved fromhttp://www.latimes.com/
on February 16, 2014
Zaggi, H. (2007). Editorial independence in Nigeria media: The way forward. Retrieved from http
://www.nasarawastate.org/newsday/ index/html on May 25, 2014

UNPUBUBLISHED WORK

Azeez, L. (2015) unpublished lecture notes on Mac429. University of Ilorin.

Metropolis of Ebonyi state. Department of Mass Communication.Ebonyi State University.
Obianigwe, N. (2009). Perception of Lagos-Based journalists on brown envelope syndrome in the coverage
of news events in Nigeria. Department of Mass Communication, Covenant University.

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QUESTIONNAIRE

National Open University of Nigeria. (NOUN)

School of Social Sciences

Department of Mass Communication

Dear Respondent,
My name is Edomah Helen, a student of Mass Communication Department, National Open University of
Nigeria. I am conducting a research on ‘THE IMPACT OF GRATIFICATION ON NEWS
COVERAGE/SELECTION IN THEPRACTICE OF JOURNALISM IN NIGERIA’ as part of the
requirements for the award of B.Sc. Mass Communication Degree at the National Open University of
Nigeria.

The purpose of this questionnaire is to obtain data that will answer the question of whether or not
journalists’ news objectivity is compromised after collecting gratification in form of money or gifts from
news sources.

You have been selected as one of the respondents for this research. I would, therefore, be grateful for your
answers to the questions in this questionnaire. I assure you that your responses would be treated with strict
confidence, and would be used exclusively for the purpose of this research.

INSTRUCTION: Please tick the appropriate box by marking [ ]

SECTION A

1. GENDER
Male ( ) Female ( )

2. AGE
18-25 ( ) 26- 35 ( ) 36 and above ( )

SECTION B:YOUR KNOWLEDGE ON GRATIFICATION

1) In your view which factors are responsible for acceptance of gratification by journalist?
Poor remuneration ( ) Greed ( ) Pressure from Bosses ( ) Economic issues ( ) Others ( )

2) Please explain some other factors responsible for acceptance of gratification by journalist?

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3) Do you think gratification influences news reportage?

Yes ( ) No ( ) Undecided ( )

4) To which extent do gratification influence news reportage and selection?

Great extent ( ) Very Great Extent ( ) Little Extent ( ) V.little Extent ( ) No extent( )

5) Which types of gratification do journalists receive?

Brown Envelope ( ) Freebies ( ) Round-tripping/Junkets ( ) Contracts ( ) Others ( )

6) Please explain some of the emerging types of gratification that you answered?

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7) Do you think that gratification serves some purpose for the journalist and the clients?
Yes ( ) No ( ) Undecided ( )

8) What are the purpose of giving gratification to Journalist by the clients?

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9) How do you as a journalist perceive gratification?

Source of extra income ( )Unethical ( )Unavoidable/Necessary ( )Indifferent ( )Others ( )

10) Would you consider your perception on gratification justifiable?

Yes ( ) No ( ) Undecided ( )

11) How do you view gratification in the practice of journalism?

Menace ( ) Necessity ( ) Undecided ( )
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 12) Please explain other views you have on gratification as a journalist?

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INTERVIEW GUIDE
a) What are the factors responsible for the reception of gratification?
b) In which ways do those factors affect ethical journalism?
c) How do journalists perceive gratification?
d) Does this perception influence their objectivity?
e) Which types of gratifications do journalists receive from citizen?
f) In which ways do those gifts affect the process of news selection?
g) What are the purpose of gratification that journalists receive?
h) Does this purpose justify their actions?

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