Pressure can also be exerted on the advertisers of the publication, as it was rumored to have been done in the Manila Times case, so that the advertisers will pull out their ads, thus paralyzing the newspapers advertising revenues (Coronel,1999) .
One of the factors that aggravate the problem of widespread media corruption is the unsatisfactory wages that the journalists are given. According to Hofilena a cub reporter gets 50 pesos a month, a regular reporter receives between 150 and 200 pesos, while an editor is usually paid 2000 pesos a month not including the minimal transportation. The annual rise of poverty in the Philippines makes the acceptance of bribery an almost practical thing, even customary. Even the small percentage of journalists who try to stand by their moral dignity and refuse bribes are still sometimes forced to accept them because of the threat to their lives and economic welfare. Ferdi Reyes, who wrote about the corruption and misuse of power in the government was murdered in February 12,1996 supposedly because he could not be bribed. (Severino,April-June1999).
Povertyis no justification for corruption for even wealth has proven to be no strong deterrent to it? (Hofilena,1998). Even columnists, reporters and editors who are financially well off are still corrupt. Bribes have been a powerful way of influencing the journalists to get them on their side. Ways of bribing are through gifts, vacations in abroad and cash. Although Jake Makaset the publisher of Malaya and the Philippine Press institute said that his idea of corruption isselling yourself, selling your story for money?. it takes two, the giver and the taker to consummate the act.? (Hofilena,1998) In his opinion, the gifts are not a form of bribery. From Jake Makasets's viewpoint it can be shown that corruption cannot be affirmed existing entirely because of the different views of journalists when it comes to the definition of corruption.
