Media regulation vital to free, unbiased reporting
Posted Jan 27, 2010
Media regulation is importat to ensure free and unbiased reporting in the country, Human Rights Commission Director, Mr. Enoch Mulembe said when the Media Liaison Committee paid a courtesy call on him on 1st December 2009 to share findings of their study tour to South Africa on media self-regulation.
He said, “It could be good if the media can regulate themselves in their work and be able to report freely without prejudice”.
He advised the media to be aware of the dangers of self regulation in the event that the media failed to abide by it.
Speaking on behalf of the Media Liaison Committee, Mr. Micky Mumba, said the media in Zambia was looking forward to a self regulatory framework that would allow among other things fairness in reporting.
He said the study tour to South Africa was worth undertaking as the Media Liaison Committee had learn a lot on how to come up with a mechanism for media self-regulation.
Early 2009, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Service Hon. Ronnie Shikapwasha warned the media that Government would be compelled to introduce statutory media regulation if the media failed to come up with a self-regulatory framework within a period of six months.
Since then, the Media Liaison Committee comprising Press Association of Zambia, Media Institute of Southern Africa, Zambia Union of journalists, Zambia Media Women Association, Zambia Union of Broadcasters and Information Disseminators, Press Freedom Committee of The Post, Panos Southern Africa and Catholic Media Service, has been working on developing a self-regulatory framework for the media in Zambia.
Recently, the Media Liaison Committee carried out study visits to Kenya and South Africa with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the Human Rights Commission.