HAITI Media and Telecoms Landscape Guide - Infoasaid

27Media pay and conditionsHaiti’s air waves are crowded and there is little advertising revenue available tosupport so many radio and TV stations.Few of them make a profit and all pay very low salaries to their staff.Journalists in commercially viable radio stations earn between $100 and $250 amonth.Many are willing to accept bribes and other incentives from individuals andorganisations to slant news coverage in their favour.Media owners and news editors are reluctant to release their staff from normal dutiesfor training or workshops unless financial incentives to do so are offered.Journalists selected to take part in such activities often expect to receive a per diem.Their bosses may also demand payment for releasing them.Nearly all radio stations charge air time fees for broadcasting humanitarianprogramming.However, such payments do not always bolster the finances of the radio station.They are sometimes diverted directly to the owner’s own pocket.Most media organisations experience a rapid turnover of staff.Poorly-paid new recruits are constantly entering the profession to replace moreexperienced journalists who have moved on to more lucrative jobs with internationalorganisations or who have gone abroad.Haiti still lacks a good school of journalism to provide basic training.27