Starving the watchdog: Welfare crisis driving ethical compromises in Nigerian newsrooms

The Nigerian media landscape is grappling with a severe welfare crisis, pushing journalists into compromising their ethical standards due to unpaid salaries, poor working conditions, and economic hardship. Historically a watchdog holding power accountable, many journalists are now fighting for basic survival.

Across print, broadcast, and digital platforms, media organizations are struggling financially, largely due to shrinking advertising revenues and declining sales. This has led to aggressive cost-cutting measures, with many employees going months, or even years, without receiving their salaries or allowances. This precarious financial situation forces journalists to confront difficult ethical and professional dilemmas.

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After my interview, I was told the television station was doing everything possible to begin paying salaries, even though my employment letter clearly outlined my monthly earnings. I was asked to go out and do my best. Almost three years later, there is still no salary.

Journalism's core ethics, editorial independence, fairness, accuracy, and resistance to undue gratification, are challenged when journalists cannot meet their basic needs. Jane (a pseudonym), who covers the Senate and the Ministry of Police Affairs, shared her experience of working for nearly three years without a salary. "After my interview, I was told the television station was doing everything possible to begin paying salaries, even though my employment letter clearly outlined my monthly earnings. I was asked to go out and do my best. Almost three years later, there is still no salary," she recounted.

When asked about ethical pressures, Jane admitted, "I sell clothing materials as a side business. I try as much as possible to avoid libelous reports, but I don’t reject money given to me by event organizers. It would be difficult to do so because survival is the first rule, not just on the battlefield." This situation highlights how economic hardship directly impacts the integrity and functionality of journalism as a societal watchdog, potentially undermining accountability and democracy.

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I sell clothing materials as a side business. I try as much as possible to avoid libelous reports, but I don’t reject money given to me by event organizers. It would be difficult to do so because survival is the first rule, not just on the battlefie