3.0. Summary-Focused Group Discussions/submissions 3.1. Access to Information Most of the discussants bemoaned the lack of a law on Access to Information (ATI) and its effect on the practise of journalism in Zambia. The discussants noted the protracted campaign for a law on ATI and the continued impact it had on their need for information to support investigative stories in certain instances. Discussants stated that in some instances, they access public documents and information by relying on the good will of those in public offices while others stated that they sometimes have to use ‘check book journalism’ to access public information from government sources. The discussants also observed the unnecessary delays in accessing information from Ministries and other spending agencies as they are often referred to the Permanent Secretaries who are not usually forthcoming. As a result, they noted that stories are sometimes published without balance. 3.2. Media operating environment Discussants generally described the media’s operating environment as free, especially in comparison to the same period in the previous year where several facts of hostility against the media, including political violence, were recorded, thereby creating an environment of suppression/fear. The discussants noted that during the period under review, government officials and sources were easily accessible while good will was shown from the office of the President with regard to safeguarding the media’s operating environment. Some of the discussants, however, noted the lack of professionalism from some media practitioners as a threat to the continued free operating environment. They noted the influx of individuals masquerading as journalists and the lack of adequate research by some journalists as threats to the operating environment. They also noted the continued practice of intimidation mainly from Police officers at special events despite certain interventions to improve relations between police and the media, a cause for concern, stating that it inhibited their ability to effectively interact with sources at such events. 10