(MISA/IFEX) – The minister of information and broadcasting services, Newstead Zimba, has alleged that the independent media in Zambia exercises “abuse of press freedom and other fundamental freedoms.” Speaking in a 17 February 2000 parliamentary debate, he also denounced the proliferation of media organisations representing different sections of the media, saying this was “unhealthy and […]
(MISA/IFEX) – The minister of information and broadcasting services, Newstead Zimba, has alleged that the independent media in Zambia exercises “abuse of press freedom and other fundamental freedoms.” Speaking in a 17 February 2000 parliamentary debate, he also denounced the proliferation of media organisations representing different sections of the media, saying this was “unhealthy and a danger to our democracy,” and attributed the multiplicity of media associations to mistrust among journalists.
But in an apparent contradiction, earlier in the same speech Zimba boasted about the “tremendous strides” in the development of the media industry in Zambia since the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) came to power in 1991. “Today, we have private print and electronic media whose performance is truly a testimony to the popular claim that Zambia is a model of democracy second to none in our region. They enjoy unfettered freedom, often with absolute abundance in the manner they go about their business,” he said.
Zimba said that the government was considering recently submitted proposals for media law reform and indicated that some of the reform proposals would be approved. When this was done, he hoped the media would form an “ethics body” which would regulate and monitor the conduct of practising journalists “as is the norm and practice in other professions” such as medicine, law, accountancy and engineering. “The ethics body must be created by the journalists themselves, who must set the rules for the good of their own profession,” Zimba said.
Referring to the “multiplicity” of media associations, the minister called for the creation of “one umbrella body” to cater to journalists’ interests. “Journalists must speak with one voice and be answerable to one authority in order to advance the cause of their trade,” he said.
In a joint statement, the Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) and the Zambia Independent Media Association (ZIMA) said they were already addressing concerns over journalism ethics.
“We wish to put it on record that both PAZA and ZIMA have established self-regulatory organs to inquire into and adjudicate complaints of breaches of professional ethics by their members. PAZA has an Ethics Committee, while ZIMA has an Independent Media Council (IMC). Both are voluntary, non-statutory ethics bodies, in line with established practice in other Commonwealth countries such as South Africa and Britain. Both the Ethics Committee and IMC are headed by eminent members of society and members of PAZA and ZIMA have pledged to abide by their decisions,” the statement said.
Commenting on Zimba’s call for them to form “one umbrella body”, the organisations said it was not up to government to determine what was good for them. “We are rather suspicious of the Minister’s concern for the welfare of journalists. Unlike him, we have found this diversity to be both healthy and safe for our democracy, because journalists are free to belong to any association of their choice. The fact that we are different does not mean that we don’t co-operate or work together,” they said.
