Maravi

Be sensitive, Mulongoti urges journalists

Be sensitive, Mulongoti urges journalists
By Sandra Mulowa and Bright Mukwasa
Wednesday January 30, 2008 [03:00]

It is extremely unfortunate that the media keep hurting people through its desire for profits or sensationalize issues out of context, information minister Mike Mulongoti has said. Mulongoti said on Monday that there was need for the media to be sensitive when reporting on certain issues. He said this in reference to his statement last week advising Zambians to watch the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations football tournament from bars and neighbors who had subscribed to pay television stations because the government had no money to facilitate this through ZNBC.

Mulongoti said he received a number of phone calls asking him to confirm whether or not he made the statement with malice that people must just go to bars to drink.
“It’s very unfortunate, you colleagues of ours from the press, you must exercise sensitivity. This is a period when people are emotional because of the disaster (floods) and also because we are all very committed to soccer. As a result any statement that we make we must be conscious of the fact that it will either build the nation or destroy the nation,” Mulongoti said.

“It’s very unfortunate, I would like you the press to exercise maximum restraint and responsibility over these matters. I have said in the past that you have to regulate yourselves so that when things like these happen, we have the media to appeal to so that they can do what is right for themselves as the media. But if we don’t see any move in this direction, what you are asking us to do is finally to regulate you so that ultimately, like all professionals, those that must practice in the industry are those with qualifications in the profession.”

Mulongoti explained that after establishing that ZNBC could not raise the K5 billion, one option the government considered was placing big screens in strategic places for people to watch the match but this also proved to be costly.

He said his statement was made in good faith and not to encourage people to drink.
But United Liberal Party president Sakwiba Sikota said Mulongoti should regulate himself instead.

“He can’t blame the press if what he says, if it disappoints people, he shouldn’t vent his anger on the press,” Sikota said.

He said the press should regulate itself but the government should encourage it on how best to achieve self-regulation.

Sikota said imposing regulation on the media would not be the best thing to do because it would always have political biasness.

“If they regulate, they will be judges and from his (Mulongoti’s) reaction, they will be very bad judges and prejudiced ones,” Sikota said.

And former MISA-Zambia chairperson, Father Frank Bwalya urged Mulongoti to seek redress if he felt aggrieved by the manner the story was reported.

“He did not deny the statement. So the media did quote him accurately. Then I do not understand the problem. It was not for The Post to say what he meant and what he did not mean,” Fr Bwalya said. “Nevertheless, linking this issue to the greater issue of the Freedom of Information Bill is totally unjustified.”

Labels: MIKE MULONGOTI, THE POST

posted by MrK @ 3:19 AM