The Media in Zambia has strongly rejected calls by some Members of Parliament to regulate the media by a statutory code.
The Five media bodies have since called upon government and progressive Members of Parliament to condemn and reject the call for the media to be regulated by a statutory code.
In a joint communiqué delivered in Lusaka today, the Media Institute of Southern Africa-MISA Zambia Chapter, the Press Association of Zambia-PAZA, Zambia Union of Journalists-ZUJ, the Media Council of Zambia-MECOZ and the Press Freedom Committee of the Post Newspapers said calls to regulate the media by a statutory code were made with emotions and should not be accepted.
Reading the Communique at a Press briefing MISA Zambia Chapter Chairperson Henry Kabwe advised the Parliamentarians to allow the media regulate itself through MECOZ saying emotions should not be allowed to wash down the democracy that the country is enjoying.
Mr. Kabwe called upon the Parliamentarians to focus their attention on the Freedom of Information Bill and the Zambia National Broadcasting Act.
Speaking earlier, Transparency International Zambia -TIZ Executive Officer Goodwell Lungu said calls to regulate the media through a statutory code are highly misplaced and should be withdrawn.
Mr. Lungu noted that it is unwarranted for Parliamentarians to start calling for media regulation at a time the people needed information for development.
Meanwhile, Forum for Democratic Process-FODEP President Stanley Mhango said the media has been a significant contributor to Zambia’s electoral process.
In a speech read on his behalf by FODEP Information Officer Macdonald Chipenzi, Mr. Mhango said a free media was vital in the promotion of democratic tenets.
And MECOZ Chairperson Sister Rose Nyondo noted that none of the media could however stand head high to claim they performed professionally during the just ended Presidential elections.
edited
Edited why
Is that freedom of expression?
Sorry bro what did you write
I wrote number 1
childish I know
Anyway everyone knows ndine nambala wanu
No to media regulation! That’s going back to UNIP days pliz…
any news form Fr Bwalya . if this bill is approved then radio ichengelo and others will be affected . it is not good to pass laws that favours few indivuals because one day these will backfire
Ba kujuba kulemba chabe nambala wanu!! Shame shamuna?
imagine
LT why did you do that to Sony Ericsson Phiri. LT ndiwe wa UNIP
pabwatooooooooooooooo
viva good at it! PABWATOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
UNIP kuya bebele, viva LT
There’s an overzealous editor at LT today. Maybe did not have lunch. Forgive him.
lets wait and see where ba mambala are taking the nation to.
Like I say, viva press freedom, viva LT
All progressive Zambians must condemn the media Regulations through the statutory regulatory board. It will be a boomerang.
Those MPs calling for a statutory code to regulate the media are not representative of the people who voted for them.They are a bunch of hypocrites.Can somebody tell me what nonsensical reasons they are giving for the call?
#12 Good at it
You have made my day. Like your name, you really are “Good at it”
Countrymen with what we have seen in the last few months of the POST newspapers radion qfm and radio chengelo any sany person has concluded that they is need to regulate. If we leave the press to free reign we will wake up one day to find that they have instigated a war. If we can have regulations for the banks why not the press?. In fact one of the new laws must be that no individual must own more than 25percent shares in any media institution.Just they way it is with the banks
What is this mudyelekezi writing kanshi pa Number one. Its good LT you did not show us his evil writtings
Post and MMD = Tom and Jerry
#23 I must protest, all I wrote was ndine nambala wanu…
#22 GOLYATI
Though your massage is not very clear you actually have a good point. The Uganda genocide was actually fuelled by the media due to lack of regulations. if you dont regulate the media especially those owned by individuals they can set the agenda for the whole country for there own interest. Today the Post is telling pipo that there is tension in the country and pipo that were about to invest in Zambia are having a second thot. i was in zambia recently and i found pipo enjoyng weekends drinking and driving as usual yet the Post sees tension.just because Membe hates Banda he now wants to create a myth of tention with an intention to Blackmail the president for his own interest
#26 what utter nonsense – Uganda – you mean Rwanda? “fuelled by the media due to lack of regulations” – I don’t think it was the “lack of regulations” that did it, it was the genocidal extremists. Do you think they would have said “oh no we might be prosecuted so we better not use the radio”? Honestly. Re: “tension” if the army is on high alert is that not “tension”? If Mpombo and Teta are threatening the general population is that not “tension”? Please man
Just like banks the media must have rules of engangement, we cant allow lawlessnes in the Media. interms of politics the media should be allowed to endorse a candidate but not to insult the other candidate. Washington Post in USA endorsed Obama but never called MCain a hyna or jackal because there are rules in America. its imposible for the Media to regulate itself. If you think humans are capable of regulating themselves as individuals then why do we have laws and Govnts? if you want to run a busness in any country you must have a liscence and that liscence comes with regulations, why should the media be an exemption? we are a christian nation and the media should not preach hatred.
I take taken a break. Lux like the site today is awash with Chainama escapees.
26 and 28 Engines
You have said it better than anyone on this blogg.
I have got nothing more to add on ,,,your words are good.
#27
Had there been regulations in place, the extremist could not have used the Media, infact the genocide tribunal has found that those extremists were infact the owners of the Media with ambitions to run the country at whatever cost. The weak media laws in the country allowed such extremists not only to own media houses but also to preach massages of hate to the people of Rwanda against each other in the name of media freedom.As for the army, the army is always on high alert 24hr service with or without tension and Mpombo reminded the those refusing to accept the election defeat of this Fact.
Mr.B. in L/stone.
Indeed the media needs some regulation, look at the unprofessional reporting in the just ended election, look at the biasness, unprofessionalism exhibited by the M’membe propaganda. Its just calls 4 logical thinking.We need men who will exhibit no tribalism racial biasness in their reporting, unlike what happened previously, i’m a die hard PF suporter, but i saw the biasness in the posts’ reporting. We need serous pipo, not the M’membe who’ve got hide agenda to achieve, cadres who who have a mission to achieve. I’m glad that i see it coming our way. we need to regulate them.
LT you are begining to show tendency of unneccessary censorship, why should u edit pipo for writing no.1. u shdu edit insults and ubusive language. not opinions or inconsequential posts. dont be like the Mwadia Mweka Daddy who want to censor everything.
twalafileka ala.
These MPS think they will be MPs forever and therefore do not need a free press. You dont play with media because thats like shooting yourself in the foot. One day these guys will be condemning the same laws they want to creat to day.
there is no need for regulations.the law of tort & negligence will deal with unthecal press.hence those who feel harmed by their publication can sue for defamation.
VIVA POST,GO AHEAD AND FINISH THOSE WITH MORAL DECAY.These MPs and Ministers are big headed..! sort them out instead..!
I’m not quite comfortable with the idea of imposing a statutory code on the media.However I do acknowledge the opinion of one Goliati.I think the way forward is to ensure that the media upholds its ethics.All elements of extremism must be stumped out.In so doing the media will enjoy its autonomy with zero interference from the govt.
#31 ENGINE. Do you know what started the war in Rwanda. These news papers and Radios were not privately owned. They were used by the Hutu ran govt after Kagame and his guerrilas shot down two Hutu Presidents ie Rwanda’s and Burundi’s. Do not scare people just because you are benefitting from MMD. Infact if read papers properly you will have seen that just last week a woman minister in Kagames gvt was arrested in France for the same crime.Even neighbouring presidents know that Kagame is culpable but are keeping quiet to keep regional peace altouhgh he is still destabalising east DRC
#35
The post can not sort out moral decay. membe married mutinta when her husband was dyng of cancer. When the man showed signs recovery he quickly put a little kid into a married womans womb and ended up taking her as a wife for his second marriege.When Dan Pule(birds of the same feather) condemed him he filled for an injunction. How do you expect moral teachings from a man with an unholly bedroom and with a child from an unholy womb.
thanks #37 good to see someone else reads and understands world news
#37 when we say regulate the media, we are not sayng regulate the privately owned ones alone. The media includes both private and state owned. Whether they were used by Kagame or whoever it was the weak media law that allowed him to use it in such a horrible manner thats the point.
#40 engines it was used *against* Kagame
Every Profession has rules and regulations that members need to follow. Why should our Journalists be scared to be regulated. This time we have alot of fake people posing as Journalists and tarnishing this profession. We need a Statutory body to which only genuine members should belong and remove the insults from our media.
cut the crap
There is nothing wrong in curtailing abuses of the ‘right to freedom of speech’ A lot of misunderstanding of our ‘liberties’ and regulations are simply means of upholding good virtues and ethical practice.
It is to be applauded to uphold good virtues. Let not the abusers of our liberties be seen as champions. The regulations will simply act as restraints to abuse as well as protect victims agaisnt abusers.
Rather- ‘.And regulations are simply means of upholding good virtues and ethical practice.
There goes ENGINES again always swimming against the tide, i like the way you can make a boring topic become live, your debating skills are legendary but on this one iam a bit lost. Are we regulating the post or the media. if we are regulating the media then engines, sony ericsson and ‘seen it before’ are saying the same thing because it doesnt matter who used it in the rwandan case, the point is who ever did, used it wrongly and that shows what the media can do
A statutory code to regulate the media?What retrogression!Let us leave that crap to the choncholiz.
Freedom of speach has never, never mearnt the free exercise of the dispensation of speech or any other form of information regardless of the consequencies of that speech or information. That would be a chaotic interpretation of our liberties. Just like you cant say ‘freedom of movement’ means the free access of people regardless. This is proving very difficult to explain when the stark reality is so cplain and clear.
Its the journalists themselves who need to be regulated the Zambian press is the most boring in the world.its only in zambia where u cannot sit down and read a paper whilst having a cup of tea.Most of these radio stations have DJs with very irritating voices not suitable for radio,print media they just write facts no investidations or follow ups.Even if the media were to be regulated it would not make a difference after all they dont inform us.
A few questions, does liberty means the absence of law and regulation?
Can the media (both private and public) operate in a completely unregulated set up (it that was ever possible)?
The MPs are right coz some media houses have refused to be regulated by MECOZ.So its just right that statutory regulation is introduced.Why fear the unknown if u ‘re law abinding?Lets have responsible journalist.
Thought it was already regulated? Are you see in th Times and Daily Mail is MMD stuff. Who can write anything negative about MMD when they work for these two useless papers?
#52 All you***********in the!
imwe bantu, zambian politicians want to regulate the media because they have a lot to hide. namibia, south africa and a few other african countries have the best media laws and everything is run smoothly in those countries. it’s a shame that with only three daily newspapers on the market, two of them government owned, and a few community radio stations, these unip dinosaurs are talking about controlling the media. they should go to DRC, Nigeria, Ghana where there a myriad of daily newspapers and no one talks about control in the way they want to do it. bakamba beka.
Isnt that why we have all these media bodies to regulate things and pliz these mp’s just dont want their dirty laundry being aired in the media, we know that in Zambia media regulation means dont say anything bad about government officials pronto it isnt even in the interest of the nations and if u leave it up to them u find that u cant even sneeze without being accused of a crime. Thats why we have all the bodies MISA MECOZ and the like this matter should not be left to the officials in parliament or government they have proven over and over that they are there for their own self interest,
#55 Exactly! I remember a certain Newstead Zimba threatening to break a ZNBC camera when his relationship was exposed. Funny thing is he carried on as minister even after all that crap.
both govt controlled papers and private should be regulated. the post is a shame. they are the ones who are causing this because of their unproffesional reporting. the post is fuelling tension and divisions in the country. am missing those days when the post really used to give us news.
‘…regulate the media by a statutory code were made with emotions and should not be accepted.’ Interesting!
“The Catholic Church wants Sunday observance enshrined in EU law. The European Parliament is debating changes to its Working Time Directive. The Vatican wants a clause in this law that would force every citizen in the European Union to rest on Sunday…. The enforcement of Sunday worship will be the mark of a powerful, Vatican-allied, European superpower.For more information, see our article “The Pope Trumpets Sunday””
Source: w w w.thetrumpet.c o m/ index. ph p ? q = 5676.4031.0.0
Have a nice day you all. Read Daniel 7 and 2 Thessalonians 2 in the Holy Bible, if you have time.
#32, in your objective words ‘Indeed the media needs some regulation, look at the unprofessional reporting in the just ended election, look at the biasness, unprofessionalism exhibited by the M’membe propaganda. Its just calls 4 logical thinking.We need men who will exhibit no tribalism racial biasness in their reporting, unlike what happened previously, i’m a die hard PF suporter, but i saw the biasness in the posts’ reporting. We need serous pipo, not the M’membe who’ve got hide agenda to achieve, cadres who who have a mission to achieve. I’m glad that i see it coming our way. we need to regulate them’, I found truth and sense. Keep it up although I support thr UPND’s manifesto.
Have a critical look at the following article written by the POST’s Editor:
‘In the last presidential election, UPND members are on record saying we were giving Patriotic Front more coverage than their party.
Their party president, Hakainde Hichilema, has made similar allegations.
Hichilema has in the past accused The Post of colossal hatred bent on destroying his career and the party.
It is interesting to note how such a once vibrant party can begin to bring itself to such low levels.’
Source: maravi.blogspot.c o m/ 2008/ 11/ upnd-and-post. h t m l
“First, even the party’s campaign programme was secretly guarded.
We even went to an extent of asking them to bring their own pictures of their rallies, which we were willing to publish. They did not bring any. Why?
And there are editions of our publications which can be compared to other publications in the country and see if there is any other newspaper in this country that has given more coverage to UPND than we have done – including in the last election.”
Source: maravi.blogspot.c o m/ 2008/ 11/ upnd-and-post. h t m l
“We accept the problem with UPND. It seems UPND has this inflated opinion of its popularity. They can over-value their assets or wealth, but they cannot succeed in doing so when it comes to popular support.
It is not right for them to try and blame others for their low popularity. They should be realistic in their overestimation of themselves. They are over-valuing themselves. Yes assets can be over-valued. You can get a few pieces of land from some chiefs somewhere and value them in billions and consider yourself a very rich person, but you can’t do that with popular support. That is different from running a political party. And UPND should be frank with itself.”
Source: maravi.
“If they want to shoot themselves to the political graveyard, we will not be part of that.
But as we have said before, if it benefits UPND to get us sorted out, let them go ahead. If the grave of The Post will help nourish their political fortunes, let them take it to its grave quickly.”
Source: maravi.blogspot.c o m/ 2008/ 11/ upnd-and-post. h t m l
“If our politicians have problems or irritations, and these may be many and legitimate, with The Post or any other media, the solution is not to devise laws that will curb press freedom, but to broaden the level of public discourse so that citizens can better sift through the chaff of misinformation and rhetoric to find the kernels of truth.
To those who want and wish to sort us out, we are ready – we have always been ready.”
Source: maravi.blogspot.c o m/ 2008/ 11/ upnd-and-post. h t m l
Look at these excerpts from #62:
“They can over-value their assets or wealth, but they cannot succeed in doing so when it comes to popular support…They are over-valuing themselves. Yes assets can be over-valued. You can get a few pieces of land from some chiefs somewhere and value them in billions and consider yourself a very rich person, but you can’t do that with popular support. That is different from running a political party.” Is this objective reporting by the POST? My take is that this has a personal attack connotation which is irrelevant to good media practices. I hope that parliamentarians will continue with the statutory code issues to regulate he media for insults’ checking.
Thanks for the article Maestro. Sure there is need for the media to be regulated Membe is a sadist and hates Hakainde. such reporting does not help zambians
Zambia is not a communist or socialist country, but a democratic one; let those parliamentarians who are crying for a statutory code chase themselves. Focus your attention on the falling copper prices and on developing the country. Please, don’t drag us back to the UNIP times!!!
#66. patnam, you are welcome. On mmembe and the POST – the Undereducate’s Image builders – I think they need expert counselling by the rest of the media organisations.
Their editorials are a shame. This is why I have now with time been concentrating on reading the editorial in the times of Zambia Newspaper for it is much much better than what the Undereducate’s Image-builders write.
Anyway, I just understand them as a cohort that needs to make money and feed their families for there might be poverty around them if they don’t do such.
Very very sad though for Citizens and others need credible news and not personal attacks on president Hakainde Hichilema.
We want news wealth reporting UNIP mentality should not be allowed by any means. In developed world tabloid newspapers support any party and they can write about thinkings that are affecting people regarding of which political party running the country and this is what makes news wealth reading and this is what makes The post and private own radio stations wealth listerning to.How boring Zambia will be without private media. This makes the govt work hard and not blinding zambians. #68 the post and HH will be friends it is a question of change by HH. Sata had the same issues with the post but handled the post well. Politics & the media are partners.
Such a statutory code on media will automatically impede on the freedom of expression. Goliath please know that the Rwandan Genocide was not driven by the media, the leaders, though people never paid attention to it…Causes: ethnicity, religion, power, political and economical (not media). Study a bit and put your facts right before the people of Zambia. we have so many problems in our country: poverty, disease, education, hunger and employment, etc. let the govt focus on these things not on private media already running without problems. know that even znbc radio & TV do not cover the whole zambia! there is still a problem of coverage in 2008!!!? why? let the govt answer!
God bless zambia
#69. Pafwenamwine, on your ‘#68 the post and HH will be friends it is a question of change by HH. Sata had the same issues with the post but handled the post well. Politics & the media are partners.’
While I understand this point, I believe the Undereducate and his Image-builders reconciled because he is a flip-flop who does not stand on principles, but changees to suit his only plan of becoming Zambian President which seemingly has now dwindled to the worst. I wish him success though in his attempts to make it to Plot 1.
On the otherhand, president HH is principled and does not fall for irresponsible behaviour like dubiously entering into agreements that will compromise his character.
#72 continued.
With this light, I do not think president HH and the mighty UPND will dance to the POST’s tune by doing this your ‘the post and HH will be friends it is a question of change by HH’ – unless I did not understand your phrasing of the sentence.
What change does president HH have to make in order to be friends with the POST?
Anyhow, my thinking is that the POST will come to terms with reality one day. If it doesnt happen, too bad for them and I will continue to show their (Undereducate’s Imagebuilders)sloppiness.
responsible journalism? or pychophantic government propaganda mouthpieces? if you can not see that this is an attempt to silence government opposition then you have got some serious problems!
so this new administration is determined to curtail civil liberties, first no freedom of speech and expression, no independent journalism? what next? one party rule? no freedom of association? military rule? I mean seriously WTF?
who will be regulating the regulators?? who’s interests will they be protecting? yours and mine? I dont think so!
Zambia is going to be a Nazi state if this administration has its way!
No 70, you ask Goliath to study a bit but I think its you who needs to. You see, a hatched plot or idea remains harmless in the perpetrator’s mind until he decides to execute it by whatever means. It may be true that leaders hatched the plot to exterminate each other, but without the media carrying this plot and broadcasting those hate ‘cockroach’ messages across the country, the general population would not have reacted so spontaneously to pick up macchettes and hack their own neighbours to death! The media did not hatch the genocide plot, but they did propagate and fan it. They were an instrument of the genocide.
Every profession should come up with regulatory rules and ethics that should be enacted in parliament as an act of parliament so that all those who practice such a profession in this case journalist should be accountable to it. What we have seen of late is such that one even denounces a council to which it belongs becoz the said regulatory council has no teeth and one can just trash it. Engineers, Lawyer, accountants, nurses, doctors, Archtects etc have all statutory bodies that regulates their proffssion. This statutory instruments defines who is what, who should practice, discpilnary code, accreditation of institutions offering the said field, licence to practice etc. All these were as a result of professionals themselves coming up with what is good for them. E.g a one can not just wake up one morning and say am an enginner , lawyer, doctor coz may be he/she has associated with such profession No. You can not start up a medical surgery if you are not licenced to practice or you are not a medical doctor. You may have the money but you need to partner or one of the directors should be a qualified, licenced to practice etc. And if you go out of what is ethical you are dicplined i.e revoke licencse,banned for life or fined. In engineering if call your self or use title of engineer you can be jailed fined or both. So journalist should also come with a statutory instrument to regulate themselves. People call themselves journalists without even seeing the inside walls of a journalism school and this is the reason we are seeing bad journalism. Even those that have done theology are calling themselves journalsits and reporting rubbish. Journalist wake up before your profession is killed by quacks. Viva SI regulation!
@ 79
But who will be regulating the regulators? you make a fair point that the law associations/medical council etc… have regulators! But how come this has only come into play after the election and becasue the Govenrment and the MP’s in question were not happy with the coverage that they recieved? do you then still think that they are motivated by the perceived need”responsible” or by the fact that they can not control the content of independent media?
cont… I live in the UK and they actually have an independent media watch dog, and people trust that them and belive that they are independent. But the problem that we have in Zed is that the majority of people do not trust the indepnendent ECZ, or the supposedly indpendent judicial system. The government has a serious problem with legitmcy, and if they are to win peoples trust, they can not be perceived to be dumbing down on independent media, as it looks like they are trying to exert control!
cont.. most people ( except for MMD cadres and those eating from the them), are naturally suspicious of the motives behind this, and if the govt. want to counter this, they seriously need to address the reasons why people do not belive the bulk of what they say! What is odd , is that under Mwanwasa’s admin, the govt. were happy with the Post, but ever since his death, the Post has been vilifed as the opposition mouthpiece because they did not support RB! I dont understand this and would appreciate someone enlightenieng me please.
Importantly who will be appointing these regulators? where will their funding come from? who will be paying their wages?if the answer to those 2 questions is the govt. they the arguement that it will be independent is null and void, becuase we all know that people are loathe to bite the hand that feeds them! and it will utlimately end up as an organisation that shuts down views opposed to the govt!
# 83.Miss President we are not talking about the Post but the media. The regulators will be the media practitioners themselves. The institution which all media practitioners will belong to shall fund the body and pay full time employees. Who regulates Lawyers , Engineers , Doctors, Accountants etc ? It is their own professinal bodies whose authority comes from an act of parliament to which every engineer or lawyer subscribe to. For your own information the Engineers are refining their Act and may soon present it to the line ministry which is Communication and one of the things they have proposed is to change the line ministry to Works and supply or Science and Technology. This act protects engineers’ intersts as well as protecting the masses. So media practitioners worth their salt should support this but make it more objective and balanced.
Really sending shock waves. A lot comes to mind and dread is top of the list. Its all starts from there. Lil’ by lil’ and then you have all journalist tongue tied.
ichi chintu tumwene lekeni sata ateke.twali myebele
@ 84
as long as this body does not receive funding from the Govt. and their cronies and is independent in every sense, then as I stated like in the UK, the essence of it is good, however the motives of the MP’s who have spoken about this, so soon after the election is suspect! and its is not suprising that people are suspicious!
The Times of Zambia, Daily Mail, and Sunday Times are government owned and blatantly biased- will they be regualated by these independent regulators as well?
Put regulations,ba post shall be the first to be dealt with.Every enviroment has a code of conduct,for entering it and exit!Regulate them and we shall advertise them period!
#78 there are very few people who think objectively about issues and you seem to misunderstand the fact that the media did not play a role in Rwandan genocide because the media itself was not free to do so and many Rwandees did not even have access to information. even if the media did, issues underlined in my prevous article stand: selfish leaders; religion; political, natural resources and power. was the media supposed to keep quiet in the midst of all that confusion so that the world should not know what was going on? i don’t think so, please be objective and as such we need to teach the media how to help people get correct information, not shun them from the truth…because of fear!
Now I know that no. 88 is my friend because we share ideas together and helped me to consider part of his article.
PLEASE MY BROTHER, FIND OUT THE REASON WHY THE POLICE OFFICIALS DECIDED TO WITHDRAW THE CASE INVOLVING FR. BWALYA OF RADIO ICHENGELO. PLEASE HELP ME BECAUSE I DID NOT GET THE PRECISE INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS MATTER.
SORRY I MEANT CHRIS #78 NOT 88
PLEASE CHRIS FIND OUT ABOUT FR. BWALYA’S TRIAL…