Study highlights local journalists’ complaints

There is an urgent need to train professional journalists in Yemen, a recent study conducted by the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) and the International Federation of Journalists has found. "Training is a pressing need for all Yemeni journalists because most of them have not studied media in college,” said YJS Secretary-General Hafiz al-Bukari. “Even graduates of media colleges receive more theoretical than practical education." The study, published on 22 November, found that a lack of professional standards represented a major problem for Yemeni media, and noted that training was essential to enhancing the professionalism of the fourth estate. "Senior journalists find it difficult to cope with the new technology necessary to their work, like computers and the internet, while junior reporters lack training in basic journalism," al-Bukari added. The study was conducted in five governorates of Yemen in which the bulk of national media is concentrated, including Sana'a, Aden, Taiz, Hodeidah and Hadramut. Financed by the Danish government as part of a “Joint Yemeni Media Development Programme,” the survey was carried out in June, when 276 journalists responded to survey questions. Around 211 journalists of those surveyed are employed by the state. While broadcast media is still entirely controlled by the government in Yemen, local print media can boast a small but significant number of private players. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Information remains responsible for granting licences for newspapers, printing presses and publishing houses. Three of the four national daily newspapers as well as most national and regional weeklies are owned and/or controlled by the government, the army or the ruling General People's Congress. Of those journalists interviewed, 93 percent also complained that their salaries were insufficient to meet basic needs, with some saying second jobs were vital to supplementing meagre incomes. Average monthly salaries for journalists range between $77 and $154, while few are provided with long-term contracts. The study noted, however, that salaries for journalists working in the capital were considerably better than those working in other areas. Meanwhile, 36 percent of the female journalists interviewed complained that they regularly faced discrimination in terms of training and professional advancement. The survey also noted that most journalists felt the YJS wasn’t doing enough to improve their working conditions, opining that YJS representatives should have a presence in the state-run media to defend journalists’ rights. The YJS board, which has almost 1000 members, was first elected in 1999. Since then, the organisation has often complained of government interference in its activities, leading several of its board members to resign. Yemen is one of the Middle East's poorest countries and is currently struggling to implement market reforms, jumpstart the economy and fight widespread corruption. According to the latest World Bank report, 42 percent of Yemen's 19.7 million people live on less than $2 per day. The national unemployment rate in 2003 was figured at as high as 37 percent.