2010 has been wasted year for media - Chanda

2010 has been wasted year for media - Chanda
By Salim Dawood
Sun 02 Jan. 2011, 04:01 CAT

PAZA says 2010 has been a wasted year for the media. In an interview, Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) vice-president Amos Chanda said the media directed most of its efforts last year trying to convince the government on straightforward issues on the importance of a self-regulated media.

“The year has been a characterised by the controversy of the creation of the Zambia Media Council (ZAMEC). Government has been pushing very hard to pass laws that regulate the media, to bring the media under the political control of politicians,” he said.

He said the media fought hard and resisted the government’s attempts to impose statutory media regulation because that would limit not only the media freedoms in the country but also freedom of expression.

“So a lot of time has been wasted. The downside has been that a lot of effort that could have been taken to other activities of media development was instead consumed trying to convince government on a very straightforward matter regarding the sanctity of media freedoms and freedoms of expression which must be protected from any form of interference,” he said.

He said the year had also been characterised by physical attacks on journalists working both in private and public media institutions.

He said the attacks where as a result of the deteriorating relationship between the media and politicians which were brought by the politicians desire to control the media.

He said the much delayed ZNBC and IBA Act had still not been implemented eight years after being enacted and underwent amendment in parliament last year.

“There has been cosmetic changes made to the ZNBC and IBA Act, but those Acts still remain unimplemented eight years since they were enacted. So in 2010 you see a minister presenting to Parliament amendments to the two laws that have never been implemented but even with those amendments the implementation has still not taken place. It’s been generally a wasted year,” he said.

Chanda said 2011 would not be any easier for the media especially that 2011 was an election year.

“We can’t delude ourselves that it will be an easy year, it will be a difficult year. What has been happening in 2010 had been a result of the anxieties and is likely to dominate the minds of politicians in view of the forth coming general elections.

“But I would like to see that politicians must understand that the separation that exists between Parliament and executive and the judiciary must be the same separation that should exist between the executive arm of government and the media as a fourth arm of government,” he said.

He warned that politicians would attempt to gain political control but they must not delude themselves that the media would let them.

He said although the media scored a few positives such as the conviction of MMD youth Lusaka youth chairperson Chris Chalwe for assaulting journalists, the year had more negative incidents to the media than positive.