COMMUNIQUE FROM THE MEDIA REGULATION INSAKA HELD AT THE GOLDEN PEACKOCK HOTEL FROM 9th – 10th MAY, 2019.
Lusaka, May 10, 2019
WE, the journalists and media owners gathered here at the Media Regulation Insaka held in Lusaka, Having listened and deliberated on the matters at hand, namely adoption of a preferred mode of media regulation for Zambia;
Having considered the history of media regulation in Zambia post-independence and the various efforts at media regulation through Media Council of Zambia (MECOZ) and Zambia Media Council (ZAMEC), and having considered the interests from government and the members of public on the need for professionalism and improved role of the media in providing fair and balanced coverage;
Having considered the various interests of various media players, namely media owners, community media, online media and mainstream media;
Having studied the various media models as exist in other countries such as Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, among others;
Having noted and discussed that there are various media regulation models available for Zambia to choose, namely self-regulation model, statutory regulation model and a new hybrid of media regulation known as ‘co-regulation’;
Do here by say that we have unanimously agreed that we adopt a statutory self-regulation model as it suits our prevailing media environment in Zambia;
That ZAMEC be revived and its statutes improved to take into consideration the interests of its members and partners;
That ZAMEC be recognised as law, as the body in charge of media regulation in Zambia under the auspices of the Media Liaison Committee.
That ZAMEC be funded from its members and other partners that subscribe to the interests and ideals of ZAMEC;
That the already existing Technical Committee continues to engage with the government and donors to actualise this decision by this Golden Peacock Insaka, and that at an opportune time and within the said Three (3) months report back to this Insaka the progress made of actualising this media self-regulation model;
That the refined ZAMEC document shall be ready after the three months period, and that a general meeting shall be called to ratify the document after which it shall then be drafted into a bill;
And that Media Owners and any other stakeholders that are willing to work together with the technical committee are welcome to do so.
Thank you very much.
Enock Ngoma
Conference Chairperson and Media Liaison Committee Chairperson
Members of the Technical Working Group:
BBC Media Action
MISA Zambia,
Panos Institute Southern Africa
Zambia Media Women Association (ZAMWA)
Zambia Union of Broadcasters and Other Information Disseminators (ZUBID)
Zambia Union of Journalists (ZUJ)
Bloggers of Zambia,
Zambia Institute of Independent Media Alliance (ZIIMA)
Free Press Initiative (FPI)
Zambian Bloggers Network,
MB Ltd
Suma Systems
Media Network on Child Rights and Development
Editor’s Forum
Lusaka Press Club
Press Association of Zambia (PAZA)
