African Journalism Outlook: SPOTLIGHT ON THE PLIGHT OF PRESS WORKERS NOWADAYS!

Today african reporters, deskmen, editors, typesetters, binders whether they
like it or not, are workers in relation to their employer, the publisher. While they
are interested in higher in higher pay and better working conditions, the latter is concerned
with making more cash money.In the same trend, one way to realize more profits is to scrimp on labor costs!
Right now in the whole AFRICA workers in the print media since the post african independence
period under study have been generally underpaid:In the IVORY COAST, the starting pay for a reporter in (1990) was (150.000 francscfa-ivorian currency=around 230 EUROS).
Moreover, the reality rests in the crucial fact that at no time in the history of the ivorian journalism have writers been paid according to what they deserve! As a result, they were definitely exploited to some extent, in the sense that they were paid measly wages, and publishers and managers took advantages of the ease with which the writers wrote...
Nowadays, it's not surprising that some reporters are more business men or manipulated rather than professional journalists: They are forced to survive socialy. In that way, journalism seems to loose his noble duty of objective and insightful informations, grounded in the deontology and professional ethics!
The wage scale today in the "IVORY COAST" due to the new s called national professional convention inthe country, seems to have pressured press editors to increase and improve journalists salary:
According to some latest credible sources, a reporter's wage in a daily newspaper such as (NOTRE VOIE) left-wing newspaper, can be up to(300.000 francs cfa-ivorian currency) in 2023!
Finally, the income differentials between the lowest and highest paid in the ivorian newspapers offices are no less than scandallous!
Down the line, being a france lance writer can banother alternative to earn more money inthe field of journalism.In France, a free lance reporter can earn up to (15000 euros), a big gap to be pointed out today!

(YVES T BOUAZO)