Zambia: government insist on statutory regulation of the media

The Zambian Government says self regulation of the media in Zambia did not work well and has since recommended statutory regulation for the industry like was the practice for other professions that include medicine and law.

 

According to an article monitored by MISA Zambia in the Times of Zambia of 6 May 2010, acting government Spokesperson Dora Siliya said that a statutory body would be the pride of the nation as it would set minimum standards; compulsory registration, qualifications and penalties for those found wanting, a declaration of interest where there is conflict.

 

“That does not mean that the media will not be independent. But it [statutory regulation] will create an environment where citizens will be protected and the media can practice within a reasonable latitude as possible” she added that calls for statutory regulation was not aimed at any particular media.

 

She quoted Nelson Mandela saying that ‘a critical investigative and independent media was one of the lifeblood of a democracy’ and Dr. Virginia Whitehouse, associate professor of Communication at the America’s Washington Whitworth College who once asked ‘If journalists are to be watchdogs, who then watches the watchdog?’

 

Speaking during a television interview on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Siliya said that government had a duty to provide an environment where citizens could enjoy the media positively and in instances where there was undue practice by the media there was compliance by those found wanting.

 

She said that the Word Press Freedom Day theme “Access to Information: The Right to Know” was appropriate as it gave the nation an opportunity to take a step back and allow all stakeholders discuss the issue of media responsibility on what the impact of the industry has been and not the journalists themselves.

 

“Do not forget that all this freedom of expression; freedom of access to information and the right to know is anchored on the rights of the citizens. In a democratic country, citizens are the masters,” said Siliya.

 

Siliya added that no freedom comes without responsibility. “There is no freedom that comes without responsibility. The media as the 4th Estate, the gate keeper, are the channel through which information flows back and forth between government and the citizens.  They too have a responsibility because they are not operating in a vacuum or in isolation, in this case Zambia in particular laws, culture and values”, she said. Siliya said that it was not government’s intention to stifle media freedom contrary to a popular mistaken notion.

 

“In our own cultural and national understanding, what do the people want to know? They want to know how government is spending their money. Do they want to know what their neighbour is doing or who their neighbour is seeing? Or do people want to see every day they open a newspaper all these pictures that are not good for children, or hear or read insulting words that people speak in private? What do the people want to know?” she asked.

 

She said the media must be fair and accurate. She said government had been calling for a professional body that would deal with those found wanting in the profession [quakes] within the media profession. She said there was need for such regulation because the power of the pen was real.

 

She said government was working towards the enactment of the Freedom of Information Bill (FOI) Bill and was currently undertaking wide consultations on the law. She said that government was trying to ensure that systems were put in place to adequately provide for access to information

Background

The Zambian Media in February 2010 agreed to establish a new media self regulation body called Zambia Media Council (ZAMEC) to replace the Media Council of Zambia (MECOZ) which had become moribund but the government of Zambia has since rejected the framework calling it a sham and reincarnation of MECOZ.

 

On 2 May 2010, the Zambia media agreed to adopt the ZAMEC constitution and urged the Media Liaison Committee (MLC) to launch the body within 30 days of approval of the constitution. However government is still opposed to the process because the framework makes membership voluntary and not compulsory.

 

- May 10, 2010 by Reagan Malumo

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Source: www.misa.org (received via Email Alert on 10.05. 2010)