Unending Discourse on the Brown Envelope Syndrome in Nigerian Journalism: Another Evaluation of a Deepening Scourge

Abstract

The Brown Envelope syndrome, which is a euphemism for bribery and corruption in the Nigerian Journalism practice, is as old as the profession in the country. The scourge has mutated from one level to another, refusing to go away despite campaigns, disciplinary measures and even the various national clamours against corruption. This paper examines the history of the phenomenon, the social, economic and even political reasons that seem to trigger it, the context of the practice itself, and the factors that can be played up to reduce or eliminate it. The paper analyses the variants of the malaise, its facts and fallacies, and its demeaning capabilities, just as it evaluates organisational and professional associations’ response to it. It argues that the moral question it raises does a heavy disservice to the journalism profession, which therefore justifies continuous calls for its stoppage. Analysis also focuses on what the malaise takes away from the practitioner, in contrasts with the high prospects, promise, and respectability possessed by the incorruptible practitioner.