Sector 4: The media practice high levels of professional standards. 4.1 The media follow voluntary codes of professional standards which are enforced by self-regulatory bodies. ANALYSIS: There exists a Code of Ethics, formulated and enforced by the Media Council of Zambia (MECOZ) established as a self-regulatory body by the media fraternity in July, 2003. The membership of MECOZ is both individual and institutional. With the exception of the Post newspaper, all major media institutions now subscribe to MECOZ, having accepted the Code and its principles. MECOZ has engaged in on-going discussions with the Post in an effort to persuade the latter to join. As a self-regulatory body, MECOZ’s major strength lies in the fact that it is a “court of honour” rather than a court of law. It is, however, too early to gauge its performance in enforcing adherence to the Code as its existence, ideals and procedures are still largely unknown to its stakeholders and the public in general. Some panelists from the media had learnt about the Council through television and newspapers only, not through direct communication. The Council’s chief executive has not yet been recruited. MECOZ needs wide publicity to promote itself and the ideal of self-regulation for which it was created. In this regard, other institutional members could emulate the National Mirror newspaper which publishes alerts to people with complaints against the paper’s editorial content to address them to MECOZ. Despite the Council’s slow start, there have been a number of rulings, among them one against the Sunday Mail. SCORES: Individual scores: 3, 4, 2, 4, 3, 4, 2, 4 Average score: 3.3 4.2 The standard of reporting follows the basic principles of accuracy and fairness. ANALYSIS: The general perception is that ownership structures and stakeholder considerations influence the degree of accuracy and fairness exercised. Different media have their own “sacred cows” never to be reported on negatively. The state media, especially, seem to have structural problems that impinge on their editorial independence and to be on a special mission. Their raison d’être seems to be to serve the agenda of the executive branch of government and the ruling party, and this has implications for accuracy and fairness. They may occasionally fabricate a story, distort the facts, or completely ignore a major event, giving rise to the perception that they are manipulated. In a nutshell, the state print media was described as 80 % accurate but as grossly unfair. Generally speaking, the distortions and inaccuracies (in both private and state dailies) are sometimes reflective of activities behind the scenes by forces wishing to manipulate public opinion. In pursuit of accuracy, some reporters now use tape recorders to document statements by unreliable sources. So This Is Democracy? 2005 -277- Media Institute of Southern Africa