STATE OF THE MEDIA REPORT QUARTER 3. 2020 registering their grievances to the police or other relevant authorities and not taking the law into their own hands”3. As stated earlier, the trend of violent attacks and political interference in the operations of media outlets was observed in both the first and second quarters4. In some instances, police are seen to drag their feet, particularly in cases where the ruling party is involved, as observed in some of the attacks in the previous quarters at Mpika, Muchinga and Isoka radio stations, among others. Equally, cases of District Commissioners interfering in the operations of media houses were rife in the previous quarters and it is, therefore, disappointing that the trend continued unabated in the quarter under review. The net effect of these violent attacks and continued interference in the operations of the media is a “chilling effect” as media will endeavour to avoid fulfilling their functions for fear of such political retribution. The media, according to Norris (2000:9) have three significant functions under normative assumptions of a representative democracy. First, the media are expected to facilitate pluralistic competition by acting as a civic forum for debate. Second, the media facilitate public participation and encourage political learning and interest. Third, the media preserve the conditions for civil liberties and political rights. These functions can only be fulfilled if a safe and conducive environment is created and the relevant authorities take necessary punitive action against erring officers. The attacks and interference are clearly a sign of a high level of intolerance of dissenting views, a situation that can influence media performance5. Commenting on political violence against media outlets and practitioners, one of the respondents, Joy Chula, Chairperson of the Lusaka Press Club stated that: As an individual, my work has not been affected by political violence and harassment of journalists. However, I get disturbed professionally when I hear of attacks on fellow practising journalists. There are many of such cases in the country where radio stations and journalists are attacked on account of what they broadcast or publish to the public. Journalists are not there to please a certain segment of society or specific political 3 5 See https://www.zambianobserver.com/it-willnot-be-business-as-usuali-have-directed-myofficers-to-apply-law-accordingly-kanganja-warnspf-thugs/ According to findings in Manchishi, K. (2017). Defamation of the President and the law’s effect on media performance: a study of the Post and Zambia Daily Mail Newspaper. Unpublished master’s dissertation. Lusaka: UNZA. 4 As reported in the MISA State of the Media Report, First and Second Quarter, 2020 12