MISA Zambia says the 4th quarter of 2018 was a challenging one in view of the heightened calls to regulate the cyber space and the media.
Speaking during the launch of the State of the Media Report in Zambia report for the 4th quarter of 2018, MISA Zambia Chairperson Hellen Mwale says policies aimed at fostering and promoting press freedom and free expression have not been a priority.
She adds that mostly calls from the government where in line with regulating the cyber space and the media.
The major key findings include:
- An increasing debate on issues surrounding the cyber space with majority talks around its regulation. The main highlight with news and reports around the cyber space had been the treatment of news critical of government being fake news or misinformation.
- Apart from the calls for regulation of the cyber space, calls to regulate the media were reported in the media. Government called on the media to consider a law to allow for the media to regulate itself for professional recognition like other professions.
- A lot of legal suits were reported. Prominent among these were defamation cases. Rainbow Newspaper Editor Derrick Sinjelala was sentenced to 18 months in prison and a corruption activist Gregory Chifire was sentenced to prison for six years for contempt of court.
For the full report: State of the Media Zambia 2018 Q4.pdf
