Thursday, March 28, 2024

PF is dominating election media coverage-Report

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PF Choir sings during the Ground Breaking ceremony for the Construction of 2 correctional facilities and 72 housing units for the Zambia Correctional Services in Mwembeshi
PF Choir sings during the Ground Breaking ceremony for the
Construction of 2 correctional facilities and 72 housing units for the
Zambia Correctional Services in Mwembeshi

A new report by MISA Zambia shows that the ruling PF is receiving the bulk of election media coverage with its officials overshadowing other election players.

The report released today shows that the PF had the majority of coverage almost twice as many stories as UPND, and that the PF was given undue prominence across the majority of media houses.

It also showed that election stories are predominantly covering process, personalities and events and not dealing with policy or developmental issues nor party manifestos and are not issue based.

It also revealed that more than 60% of all election stories were single sourced, and therefore biased, unfair and not balanced.

The report is a result of a media monitoring project undertaken by MISA Zambia in collaboration with BBC Media Action and Media Liaison Committee (MLC).

Researchers on this project analysed 441 election-related stories from a total of 21 different media houses in order to produce the data used in this report.

These included TV stations, radio stations, newspapers and websites, and covered public, private and community-owned outlets.

The research shows that PF/PF party officials or statements were the most common source of election-related news stories at 28.1% followed by UPND/UPND party officials or statements at 14.6% while CSO representatives or statements received 13.2% and statements from average citizens at received only 7.6% of coverage.

The MMD and its party officials received a paltry at 6.7% with the ECZ representatives or statements getting at 5.8% of the coverage.

The report findings also showed that in private owned media outlets, the PF received more media coverage, but the difference with the next major party was lower than across other media sources.

It showed that the PF received 43% of media coverage followed by UPND at 25% and that 10 % of coverage was not centred on any political party but rather on election stakeholders in Zambia.

In community owned media outlets, the PF also received more press coverage at 41%, while the UPND received 25%.

14% of the media coverage was not on any political party but rather on election stakeholders, notably the Electoral Commission of Zambia.

Other political parties such as the MMD, NAREP and FDD received a total of 11% combined while the Rainbow party and DF received no coverage.

In the public media, the P received 51% of the election related coverage, compared to the next closest political party, the UPND that received significantly less coverage at only 18%.

The report has since recommended the need to increase coverage of topics relevant to citizens’ choice of who and which party to vote for like poverty eradication, education, health, agriculture, party manifestos and employment.

The report also called for balance the coverage of different political parties and to particularly give more coverage to opposition and smaller opposition parties.
It also recommended the Increase in the range of sources and viewpoints expressed in a story.

24 COMMENTS

  1. UPND has no issue based stories hence the reason for not covering it. Media houses would rather go for PF which has one of the best candidate and Manifesto and at the same time Good policies for Zambians. PF has done a lot in 5 years as compared to MMD’s 20 years. So i don’t think Zambians will sink so low to change the winning team. So please lets think and not Sink.

    • @1 WASOSE FYAMANO. “IF IT IS NOT BROKE DON’T FIX IT”. I DON’T KNOW IF ZAMBIANS ARE THAT STVPID TO START FIXING SOMETHING UN BROKEN. BESIDES CONTINUING DEVELOPING INFRASTRUCTURE, PF, IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS WILL DELIVER MILLIONS OF JOBS THROUGH AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PROCESSING, MANUFACTURING (INDUSTRIALISATION), TOURISM AND MORE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT ITSELF.

    • The under 5 has no issues that are news worthy…and as such the media houses fear to lose listenship/readership. HH is repeating himself on things that PF has done or is already doing…

    • Doesn’t this remind us of that GREAT SAYING: “EMPTY TINS MAKE THE LOUDEST NOISE!!!!”

      They have hijacked public media – BUT THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE ARE NOT ALL THAT ST;UPI.D – They are relying & DO IN THIS INSTANCE BELIEVE THE OPPOSITION VIA WORD OF MOUTH!!! Just as GBM SAYS, WE ARE DEMOLISHING THEM WHERE EVER WE GO, THE CROWDS MAY BE HUNGRY, THEY NOT ONLY HUNGER FOR THEIR BELLIES, BUT HUNGER FOR TRUE CHANGE – to GET RID OF FILTH!!!!

      Vote WISELY 11/8/2016!! Vote ZAMBIA FORWARD!! Vote UPND!! Abantu baya!!

      #chagwamustfall!! PamaFikuyabebele!!

      I thank you!!

  2. They have not paid for the advertisement. Other political parties have no money as required to pay the bills.

  3. We all know that the man without head,neck and a hippo look like has instructed all public media houses not to give coverage to the UPND.

  4. We have more projects to Sonta po!
    This is common sense, we obviously deserve more air time for coverage. MISA don’t allow yourselves to be bought by UPND and the double tongue serpent (HH)
    What can they show apart from Utopian promises?

    • Just like you lied yesterday that you have built hostels,Library and water systems at mulungushi university when infact it was Mwanawasa who started and funded the projects.stop lies bane.Mwila sonta fya bene uko kwiba.

  5. Well media houses don’t vote. Ask Rupiah Banda what transpired. AMASHOKO yalimupepi. If you’ve noticed people are NOT wearing any political regalia. Zambians don’t entertain living in fear. They’ll simply vote EL out and usher in a People’s choice.

  6. How can they not dominate coverage when they chose what is or is not reported.

    Even paid for adverts by the other parties are denied airtime. A bankrupt institution by ZNBC can even refuse to accept adverts from the opposition when they are the ones who badly need the resources.

  7. How do you cover insults. Insults and vulgar language is what UPND knows. If it cannot be reported, it not worth it. UPND has worth apart from insult and vulgar language. Media houses have perceived correctly, so have many Zambians. UPND has no issues to offer to Zambian because everything they say they will do, PF is doing it already. That is why HH is wrong, HE CANNOT FIX WHATS IS NOT BROKEN!!!

    • Chimbwi you call 22% inflation not broken or $8 billion external debt ok.Wait and see what awaits you from IMF when PF wins.

    • Your insult against me has shown and proved what I just said. UPND and its leader know nothing but insults and vulgar language. Do not say if PF wins, PF is winning no doubt. What have I done for IMF to be on me!!! Whis country has no debt? Even your HH has debts. No businessman does not get loans, no country does not get loans. Even most developed countries have loans. Whom do you want to cheat? Just agree that you have no agenda for Zambia!!!

      Try insulting me again and see what I will throw at you. You think only you an you HH have the monopoly of insults? We are only rational and civil, but push us too far, we will use you attitude to hit you.

  8. @Asigai, quite alright few countries are without debt. Perhaps the concern from Dr Banda above is that Zambia has accumulated more debt in the past three years than should have been the case, the debt ceiling had to be raised twice to make room for more borrowing under the pf which is very worrying on so many levels.

    The kwacha went into freefall to reach record lows under Lungu’s watch and the uncertainty with policies that the PF has so blatantly displayed with a staggering 10 major policy withdrawals/backtracks in just under four years doing little to bolster investor (both local and foreign) confidence in the economy which is key to bringing in the much needed liquidity in the country.

    Zambia basically went a full year without really using its 2015 national budget as a result…

    • @Realist, well said and I hope people like Dr. Banda can learn something here because they the ones making UPND look like a of thugs. It is good to agree to differ amicably and walk together joining hands as brother and sisters under the sun. After all is done, Zambia is our only country.

      Having said that, I still think UPND are not being innovative enough as an alternative to PF. It is like PF has planted white maize and UPND says they will plant yellow maize. It is all maize only used differently. Utopia can not work in a third world country like Zambia. HH must do better than this. He has concentrated on trying to damage the image of ECL and PF policies than sell UPND policies. It will be very difficult to destroy ECL personality because he has been President for only a shor time…

  9. The PF think that we will be duped into voting for them if we listen to and watch more of their adverts. The truth is that wheher we watch HH or not, the high cost of leaving, loadshedding and high lending rates in banks will remind us of whom to vote for.

    • We are voting for PF because of the practical and visible results we have seen in terms of infrastructure developments. We are leaving theories to others like UPND.

      So my friend, not everyone shares you views. You will be shocked by the outcome of August 11, PF is winning. PF is able to sonta!!!! The onus is on UPND to prove otherwise. The pressure is on UPND and HH.

  10. There is a lot to cover for PF as they continue to SONTA achievements too numerous to mention. What is there to cover for UPND? Nothing, except insults. Ba UPND balibe mau. Completely mauless, nothing new. They keep repeating what is already being done by PF. Zambians are fed up of this monotony. Try something new, may be we will give you an ear.

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