During the quarter, the status of public media was topical with the Information Minister, Chushi Kasanda , dissolving the board of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) while those of the Daily Mail and Times of Zambia were dissolved by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) in the same month. There were further calls for equal coverage, even of voices deemed to be critical to the state 8. Picture courtesy of News Diggers for illustration purposes. This is important in view of the situation witnessed earlier in the year where coverage by the public broadcaster, ZNBC, for example, towards the ruling PF was more than half of the combined coverage for all opposition parties inclusive of UPND 9. During the same quarter, Minister of Information Chushi Kasanda announced that government had instituted measures to transform ZNBC into a true public service broadcaster that would offer equitable coverage regardless of political affiliation 10. Another call regarding public media was noted from Information PS, Kennedy Kalunga, who urged government and other corporate entities to support the Zambia Daily Mail and Times Print Pak by utilising their subsidiary printing and courier services. Information Minister Chushi Kasanda stated that there was transformation in how the public broadcaster, ZNBC, provided coverage since the coming of the UPND government, see http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/znbcwill-cover-all-kasanda/ . There is, however, no empirical evidence that has been conducted for a comparative analysis of the pre-post UPND victory. 9 According to findings in the MISA Election Content Status Report (May-June, 2021) under the Voter’s Voice Project. 10 She said this during a meeting with a team from BBC Media Action. See http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/znbcwill-cover-all-kasanda/ 8 16