The Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) has called on Zambia’s cooperating partners such as the World Bank to invest more in media training institutions to enhance efficiency among journalists in economic and financial reporting.
PAZA notes that there is little coverage in economic and financial reporting from Journalists due to inadequate support from cooperating partners.
PAZA Vice President Amos Chanda said there is need for Journalists to be specialized in economic and financial issues to update the nation in the area of economics.
Mr. Chanda said there is also need for the media personnel to highlight on economic matters and continue updating and providing the nation with the necessary financial information to help people make informed decisions.
Mr. Chanda told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka that this cannot be achieved without the support of stakeholders in the media industry.
He said specialization in financial reporting will help journalist to form and develop a system of articulating economic and financial jargons so that Journalists could easily disseminate information to the public.
The PAZA vice president was reacting to World Bank Country Representative Kapil Kapoor who said the media in the country has dwelled much on politics and sports at the expense of economic and financial issues which are vital in spearheading development in any given country.
Meanwhile Mr. Chanda has defended the media on allegations that they also concentrate much on reporting about negative issues detrimental to the development process of the country.
He said the media does not create news but report on issues that affect the people adding that it is the duty of the media to inform the public on any issues whether negative or positive.
Mr. Chanda noted that it is sad that most people always want to be seen or heard on the positive side than their negative part which he said makes them think that the media is against them.
This week Information and Broadcasting Service Deputy Minister Angela Cifire charged that the media are fond of reporting negatively about national issues compared to the issues to do with development.
ZANIS
As a journalist myself I salute & commend what you are doing for the media industry. However, I feel the media ownership landscape has to change for any of these initiatives you’re proposing to work. At the moment, the main dailies are controlled & used as government propaganda tools. Shouldn’t you be advocated for Times & Daily Mail to be privatised coz really they are so pathetic.
Abwenzi, I totally agree with you.Both Govt mouthpieces (daily mail and the times) are pathetic.It’s not just the quality of the paper they are printed on, the level of jounalism is extremely low.There’s hardly any substance in their reporting except the usual propaganda(crude) from plot one and from Lt Col Shikapwasha(Ex Red Arrows team manager now turned into Lt Gen).I also strongly believe their Journalists ought to be re trained.