ist Deborah Chipofya against ‘insulting’ President Banda by citing the Protected Flag, Emblems and Names Act. Nhlane, who retracted his comments and apologized to Chipofya following condemnation from the fraternity, had warned Chipofya that she risked arrest for ‘insulting’ the president in her column “This World Around Me” published in The Sunday Times dated September 23, 2012. Chipofya had attempted to analyze the different meanings of the abbreviation for President Banda’s Party - People’s Party (PP), by suggesting that PP could easily mean ‘President Palibe’ [There is no President] as the country seemed to have no leadership and direction. When columnists in Malawi’s newspapers, especially the weekend papers, provide critical analysis and interpretation of current affairs, they are often blacklisted by those in power. It is not surprising, therefore, that most columnists become the subject for discussion on political podiums and are the target of intolerant administrations. Most columnists were marked by the Bingu government and the trend continued in the Banda administration. By the second and third quarter of 2012, reports were rife that most senior media managers were under pressure from above to ‘tone down,’ as some of their columnists appeared to have some hidden agenda against the Banda administration. One critical column “Cut the Chaff,” which focuses on economic issues, vanished sometime in September amidst rumours that President Banda was not happy with the stand taken by the writer, renowned business journalist, Ephraim Munthali, on the economic reforms and policies her administration had initiated. MISA-Malawi investigations showed that Munthali decided to ‘withdraw’ his column after he was advised to ‘tone’ down. He is now writing again. One of the major areas of concern to the media during the Bingu administration was the nature and conduct of presidential press conferences, which were usually party rallies rather than a platform for engagement between the media and the president. Although President Banda lived to her promise and changed the venue of such conferences from the open grounds at the airport to State House, the conferences remain unfriendly, hostile and intimidating to journalists. The conferences are still patronized by party activists who jeer and level insults at reporters who ask ‘critical’ questions and perceived critical of the 6R7KLVLV'HPRFUDF\"