Brown Envelope Journalists Spoiling Nigerian Media - U S Ambassador

The United States' ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, has spoken out against financial incentives for journalists. 

She claims that the practice erodes journalistic ethics and diminishes public trust in the media. 

Cash inducements were disguised in brown envelopes and presented to journalists during press briefings, hence the term "brown envelope." 

Ms Leonard also advised Nigerian journalists to exercise their right to freedom of expression by regularly fact-checking propaganda and misinformation. 

Samantha Leonard, the United States' ambassador to the United Nations, said democracy is under attack from "patronage politics, corruption, inequality, and the inability of many democratic governments to provide for their constituents."

Most aggressive internet trolls, she claims, are covered by anonymity. The ambassador urged the media to focus on not only society's issues, but also potential solutions. 

She proposed the creation of a new Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy to combat the abuse of surveillance technology.