Spike or Suffer? <i>Jamhuri</i> and the Bribe Offer
How should a news organization handle a bribe if refusing it could damage the news operation? What if giving and taking bribes, while illegal, is an accepted cost of doing business? In January 2012, Deodatus Balile—managing editor of the fledgling Tanzanian weekly newspaper, Jamhuri—obtained documents proving improprieties in a privatization deal. Before publishing a story, he was offered a bribe to spike it.
Case number:
AKU-12-0006.0
Category:
Journalism Cases
Topics:
journalism, business ethics, editorial management
Teaching resources:
Epilogue,
Teaching note