* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Being a good journalist in Liberia doesn't just depend on having the right skills - it also requires a decent wage and a relationship with the institutions running the country. But all too often these are sorely lacking
In Liberia, being a journalist is tough.
First there's the pay. There isn't much of it. The average Liberian lives on $1.25 a day, and most journalists are paid a pittance to do their job. All too often they end up taking payments from the people or organisations they report on.
Yes, such payments fatally undermine the independence that is central to strong journalism - and fly in the face of the principles of integrity that we take for granted at Thomson Reuters, as laid out in the Reuters Handbook of Journalism and the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Ethics Handbook for Journalists.
But in a country still reeling from the worst Ebola epidemic on record and years of civil war, one can see why the lure of the brown envelope is hard to resist.
Then there's the question of access. Many Liberian journalists say a culture of mistrust discourages them from talking to people in power and asking the questions they need to. They might rely on official statements or, if unavailable, their only sources will come from the "other side" - aggrieved citizens, opposition politicians and organisations advocating for change.
But wait. Let's flip this round and put ourselves in the shoes of those in the government headed by Nobel peace laureate Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Assuming for a moment you're an official who is interested in citizens getting the facts - yes, such officials do exist - what would your reaction be if a journalist approached you for comment?
You might be reluctant. They keep writing one-sided stories that misrepresent your position. They don't always ask for your view. And let's face it - most are paid by interest groups so there's no guaranteeing unbiased journalism.
All of which illustrates one of the big problems facing journalists in Liberia, which is still picking up the pieces from a conflict that ended in 2003 after claiming some 200,000 lives. As well as the need for better, independent and sustainably funded journalism, there's a need for better relationships between institutions of power and the Fourth Estate.
Whether it's an exposé or a straight news piece, journalists often have to speak to government as one of many sources - and seek out people who will give them straight answers.
I recently returned from Liberia where the Thomson Reuters Foundation, together with a local non-profit media development organisation called New Narratives, kicked off a project on reporting Liberia's oil industry.
We're working with 13 journalists over the next 18 months - a small group that we selected based on their commitment to independent reporting and motivation to cover the oil sector. This is part of our pan-African Wealth of Nations programme, funded by the Norwegian government's development agency.
Liberia hasn't yet struck oil but there are signs that it's there, lurking beneath the seabed a few miles from the shore. This means oil companies are there, drilling for it, seeking it out, and Liberia is signing contracts to give them the right to do this. The media should be covering this in depth - including the activities of NOCAL, the National Oil Company of Liberia.
But are they? Across the media sector we found considerable suspicion of NOCAL and the government. Some felt both were lacking in transparency.
As a result, reporting in many outlets lacks evidence and multiple sources, and the stories can read like diatribes. If wrongdoing or corruption is present, this is not the way to expose it - because stories lacking evidence are far too easy to ignore.
As for the government and NOCAL, we heard that many officials were reluctant to speak with journalists, primarily because of the poor quality of coverage they regularly see. Thus the vicious circle continues.
One thing our project can aim for is improving this relationship. For the journalists, we need to give them the knowledge to understand Liberia's oil dealings, which will help ask the questions they need to.
For those running the oil sector, we need to inspire their confidence in the journalists we are working with so that they are willing to talk to them.
And if wrongdoing is found, journalists should cover it - by using facts.
In the words of our trainer and former Reuters West Africa Bureau Chief Nick Phythian, it will be a big step forward if those in power find themselves saying to journalists: "We may not always like what you report, but we respect the way you report it."
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