Cambodia's bribe-seeking press corps
Cambodia's bribe-seeking press corps
Phnom Penh, Cambodia - San, a 47-year-old former soldier, has worked full-time at a newspaper in Cambodia for the past 14 years. He carries company-issued business cards, a government-issued press pass, and a walkie-talkie on his hip, but he has never been paid a salary.
Instead, like hundreds of other members of Cambodia's press corps, he cobbles together a living by combing the countryside for news, then accepting bribes not to publish stories.
In some cases, San uncovers wrongdoing and approaches the law-breaker for hush money. Other times he receives regular "envelopes" of cash from local officials to ensure he doesn't even start hunting for news in their vicinity. Either way, he doesn't publish many stories.
This way of doing journalism is ingrained in Cambodia, but is rarely discussed openly, even though a spate of recent violent attacks has been directed at this unruly corps of journeyman reporters, who tend to congregate in remote areas where illegal logging and land grabs are rampant.
An overwhelming majority of local Cambodian journalists get their income from multiple sources, because we don't get pay from the publisher. But we make money from our news.
- "K", 40-year-old journalist
"It's difficult, because most journalists in the provinces have gone into the media profession without any professional training, so sometimes they don't even think it is unethical to get $5, $10, or $50," said Moeun Chhean Nariddh, the director of the Cambodia Institute for Media Studies.
whole story here: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/featur ... 99165.html
Instead, like hundreds of other members of Cambodia's press corps, he cobbles together a living by combing the countryside for news, then accepting bribes not to publish stories.
In some cases, San uncovers wrongdoing and approaches the law-breaker for hush money. Other times he receives regular "envelopes" of cash from local officials to ensure he doesn't even start hunting for news in their vicinity. Either way, he doesn't publish many stories.
This way of doing journalism is ingrained in Cambodia, but is rarely discussed openly, even though a spate of recent violent attacks has been directed at this unruly corps of journeyman reporters, who tend to congregate in remote areas where illegal logging and land grabs are rampant.
An overwhelming majority of local Cambodian journalists get their income from multiple sources, because we don't get pay from the publisher. But we make money from our news.
- "K", 40-year-old journalist
"It's difficult, because most journalists in the provinces have gone into the media profession without any professional training, so sometimes they don't even think it is unethical to get $5, $10, or $50," said Moeun Chhean Nariddh, the director of the Cambodia Institute for Media Studies.
whole story here: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/featur ... 99165.html
Und der Haifisch der hat Tränen
Und die laufen vom Gesicht
Doch der Haifisch lebt im Wasser
So die Tränen sieht man nicht
In der Tiefe ist es einsam
Und so manche Träne fliesst
Und so kommt es dass das Wasser
In den Meeren salzig ist
Und die laufen vom Gesicht
Doch der Haifisch lebt im Wasser
So die Tränen sieht man nicht
In der Tiefe ist es einsam
Und so manche Träne fliesst
Und so kommt es dass das Wasser
In den Meeren salzig ist
Re: Cambodia's bribe-seeking press corps
Sounds like a dangerous occupation. A mine clearing expert might live longer.
- phuketrichard
- Expatriate
- Posts: 16851
- Joined: Wed May 14, 2014 5:17 pm
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Re: Cambodia's bribe-seeking press corps
disgusting
anyone could dig up anything on anybody
thats not reporting
anyone could dig up anything on anybody
thats not reporting
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
Re: Cambodia's bribe-seeking press corps
It's called blackmail where I come fromphuketrichard wrote:disgusting
anyone could dig up anything on anybody
thats not reporting
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