Maravi

People don't forget the past so easily

People don't forget the past so easily
By The Post
Mon 04 June 2012, 07:00 CAT

RONNIE Shikapwasha is saying that the media in Zambia is worse under the PF government than it was during the MMD reign in terms of news coverage. Ronnie is also saying that there is an assault on democracy by the media's failure to report issues as they are under the PF. Is this true? Is this really so?

But what was the media like under the MMD government? What did the media do under the MMD government that it is doing worse today? What is the media not doing under the PF government that it was doing under the MMD government?

What did Ronnie do as Minister of Information that which Fackson Shamenda is not doing? How free is the state media today to report what it wants or what should be reported? What was the situation under the MMD government? How free was the private media to report what it wanted to report under the MMD?

And what were the consequences for the media that reported what the MMD government didn't want it to report? There are many questions that one can ask in response to Ronnie's statement and these are legitimate questions seeking honest answers. But we don't think that Ronnie's statement is an honest one seeking honest responses.

We all know that the media under the MMD, especially the state-owned media which the MMD government controlled, was not free to report the truth. The MMD had turned the state-owned media into a propaganda tool for peddling mendacity about their political opponents, real and imaginary.

We all know how the private media which did not yield to their whims was treated. And The Post can bear testimony to that; it is a clear example of how the MMD treated the media it did not like. We also all know how the MMD abused the state-owned media to vilify those they didn't like.

They created and funded 'private media' that was parasitic on the state media, abusing public resources for their own private or personal political propaganda. Zambians do not have as short a memory as Ronnie. They still remember what Ronnie and his friends did with Chanda 'Chimbwi'. He ran programmes on state television which had no regard to truth and to the dignity of others.

And this they praised as good media programmes. They had no regard even for the basic rules of defamation. They never cared whether other people were defamed or not. After all, there was no need to worry because even the courts of law were under their control and direction. They did as they wanted them to do.

Ronnie was one of the most reckless Ministers of Information Zambia has ever known. Under him, the state-owned media recorded the highest number of defamation suits which can today not be defended. And that is why it has been decided that Ronnie personally pays for some of these cases.

It is the first time in the history of this country that a Minister of Information has been made to personally bear the burden of defamation suits against the state-owned media. Why is this possible? This is possible because Ronnie himself directed this irresponsibility.

He had gone too far in this recklessness and disregard for the dignity of others. Under the MMD, the state media and the so-called private media that they controlled did as they pleased and with no regard whatsoever to the legality, morality or truthfulness of what propaganda they churned out.

And it is evident to everyone who has eyes to see or ears to listen that things have changed for the better under the PF government. The state-owned media today covers the opposition in the way it has never been covered before since the return to multi-partism in 1990.

The opposition and other voices outside the PF and its government are enjoying good and positive coverage in the state-owned media. Even their lies about those in government are being reported in this media.

And the remnants of the private media they had set up in the run up to last year's elections is still reporting about those in government today in more or less the same way it was reporting on them when they were in the opposition. The so-called private media that was set up to paint Michael Sata varicose is still at it today when he is President of the Republic.

No one has been arrested for criminal defamation of the President. And no one has been sued for doing so. There has been great tolerance and self-restraint on the part of Michael and the PF government when it comes to dealing with hostile, malicious and provocative media. So many clear lies are being reported in this media today about them.

But so far, we have never seen the police being sent on those who run this media. We have also not seen libel suits flying around in an attempt to stop the malice. But what we have seen is the constant exercise of self-limitation, restraint and modesty. This was not the case with the MMD government.

The two are simply not comparable. The media today, both state owned and private, are more free to report things as they want. If those in the media today report things in a manner that is not acceptable to the opposition or any other dissenting voices, it is not because someone in the PF is coercing them to do so; it is simply because that is the way they want to do it.

Yes, there are deficiencies in the Zambian media, including The Post, in the way it reports news. But these deficiencies cannot be attributed to the PF, at least for now. Up to this point, the PF cannot be accused of having a negative influence on the way the media reports.

And this is something that has been acknowledged by many people, including religious leaders. And this is the way things stand today. If things change tomorrow, then it will be another issue. But for now, the PF government has accounted itself very well in its dealings with the media.

The coverage the PF enjoys today is something that is freely given to it, something it has earned. This doesn't surprise us much because of all our politicians, Michael can be said to be the best in terms of knowing how to interact with the media. Throughout his political career, Michael has enjoyed wide media coverage.

For the most part, he has been the second to the president. When Michael was governor of Lusaka, he enjoyed more coverage that was only second to that of KK. And when he was a minister under Frederick Chiluba, he also enjoyed media coverage that was only second to Chiluba.

In opposition, Michael managed his own media coverage. He personally walked into newsrooms and talked to reporters, relating to them directly. Actually his media coverage has gone down; it's getting a bit poorer since he became President. We don't know the reasons for this. Probably it is simply because he doesn't have much time to pay attention to it directly.

It is difficult for anyone to accuse Michael and his government of limiting the scope of media coverage for others. What seems to have happened actually is the opposite; Michael is not getting as much media coverage as he should as the Republican President. He is not using the media as much as he used to when he was in opposition.

It is therefore difficult to understand how Ronnie can today say the media under PF is worse than it was under the MMD in terms of news coverage. Anyway, Ronnie has never had much respect for truth and honesty is something that he seriously lacks.

But it is statements like these which will further undermine the standing of the MMD as a political party. One cannot start telling lies about things which the people can see for themselves and expect to remain credible in their eyes.

We can only hope that the PF maintains its current approach to the media and continues to have a tolerant spirit. We do not have a perfect media, and no one has such a media in the world.

It is worse for us because of the many challenges the media faces that are hindering its development, capacity and efficiency. The skills are lacking in many areas of the media. And this calls for more and more tolerance, for more and more patience from the Zambian people and from the leadership of our country.

In this way, we may eventually get a media we deserve. It is sometimes very irritating, very annoying, but that is part of national growth. We have to learn to live with nuisances in our effort to create a more tolerant society.

This may appear to be a cost but eventually, it will turn into a reward and the reward always goes to those who endure adversity. It is part of the growth process for both the individual and the nation. In saying all this, we are not in any way trying to encourage or defend recklessness in the media. We are also not in any way advocating impunity.

We are simply asking our people and their leaders to be tolerant while at the same time demanding a media they deserve. Those who defame others should always be made to bear the temerity of their actions. But let this be done in a civil and judicious manner.

Labels: GIVEN LUBINDA, MEDIA, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA

posted by MrK @ 2:32 PM