3.0 Trends 3.1 Socio-political environment The social-political environment in the quarter under review was generally more conducive than that recorded in the previous quarter, despite a few notable occurrences. For example, only one attack on a media house was recorded in the quarter under review1, a marked improvement from the situation in the previous quarters which had violent attacks recorded, with damage to property in certain instances. This improvement could be attributed to various interventions undertaken by media associations and stakeholders during the quarter aimed at addressing the safety and security of journalists. One such programme conducted during the quarter was a practical training on police-media relations. The training covered aspects such as avenues for strengthening police and media partnership, safety and security of journalists during planned and unplanned riots or violent demonstrations, online safety and security tips for the journalists, physical endurance in hostile environments and first aid, among others2. At the inaugural training held at Lilayi Police College, Police InspectorGeneral, Kakoma Kanganja stated in part that: The Zambia Police Service treasures and holds in high esteem the role that the media plays in informing the public on the effects of negative vices such as political violence and electoral related crime. The media are our all-weather partners and during police operations such as crowd control and management, the presence of the media acts as an oversight and to some extent regulates the conduct of police officers. I know that the suspension of mass gatherings such as political party rallies due to COVID-19 1 On 24th June, unknown people set Radio Kalungwishi in Chiengi District ablaze causing damage to an air-conditioner and transmission cable with a combined value of K16, 000. According to ta statement issued by the Zambia Police Service, members of the public quickly responded to the call of distress and managed to extinguish the fire and prevented it from spreading to other parts of the building. 2 See https://zambiareports.com/2021/06/07/dont-use-platforms-disseminate-hate-messages-kanganja-urges-medi/ State of the Media in Zambia 3