In the third quarter, Zambia held one of the most highly anticipated and fiercely contested general elections in recent times, in which scrutiny of the performance and conduct of the media was expected to be at its highest. The general evidence showed that the trends of polarisation were at their worst in the weeks and days towards and after the 11th August 2016 poll as portrayed in the content carried by various media. This was more so especially when it came to the coverage and reporting on various political entities in the country. Further, the continued slump in the economy affected the media and particularly the broadcasting media largely because most of the broadcast equipment is imported and a weaker kwacha meant that radio and TV stations had to pay more while advertisers also had to make downward adjustments. The quarter also witnessed continued high levels of political intolerance towards media freedom and freedom of expression. This trend of political intolerance and state interference in media operations has continued to raise dust among stakeholders such as the diplomatic community and civil society organisations who have noted these measure by the authorities are neither desirable nor welcome in a democratic state such as Zambia as she strides towards a more ideal democratic state. Freedom of expression and of the media has become even more elusive in the quarter under review as evidence shows from the various media reports analysed as well as from interviews with industry players. On a positive note however, the duty waiver for the next two years on imports of broadcasting equipment has continued to cushion the negative economic trends recorded so far. This has continued to be a stabilising factor for the sector in the short term and promote growth over the long term in view of the digital migration process. 6