STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA Government is so concerned about domestic debt owed to suppliers of goods and services. That is why part of the money from this bond will be used to pay off suppliers of goods and services, including the local contractors. This is a deliberate effort by my government aimed at ploughing back money in our local economy and enhancing economic activity than letting our money go out of the country. Further, the money realised from the bond will be utilised to support the small and medium enterprises that will not be able to access the k10 billion medium term refinancing facility through commercial banks which is managed by the Bank of Zambia. With these measures, I expect the economy to reignite to a positive growth trajectory. The developments on the economic front affected the media sector which was not spared by the shocks of the economy. This is because most of the media inputs are imported at great cost and fluctuations in the exchange rates have a negative impact as they increase the cost. Further, such an economic downturn increases the daily operational costs encountered by media houses in the process of news gathering and dissemination. It is therefore important that measures are taken to protect the sector by introducing waivers on critical media inputs and equipment in subsequent budgets to cushion the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic volatility experienced in the early part of the year and projected to continue for the rest of the year. Additionally, with the deterioration of business conditions in the private sector due to a reported decline in output and new orders because of consumer spending came ripple effects on advertising revenue for media houses. This is a major concern with regard to sustainability of media enterprises in Zambia and the need for diversification into other streams of revenue to safeguard economic freedom, a critical tenet of press freedom. Scholars such as Banda (2004)39 have highlighted the need to enhance the sustainability of media enterprises in Zambia. 39 Media associations must Banda, F. (2004). Newspapers and magazines in Zambia-a question of sustainability. Lusaka: MISA. pg. 35