STATE OF THE MEDIA REPORT QUARTER 3. 2020 The pandemic also provided an opportunity for media to play a pivotal role of surveillance and supplementing government efforts especially in the dissemination of information on the outbreak. While in the previous quarter strenuous relations between government and Prime Television over COVID sensitisation led to the eventual blacklisting and closure of the station, the third quarter witnessed partnership between government and some media outlets. One such outlet is News Diggers Newspaper which partnered with government to offer free advertising, radio and television sponsorship for COVID-19 sensitisation programmes15. The action by News Diggers is a fulfilment of the role of the media in such critical times. The newspaper joins many other outlets that have dedicated space and airtime towards sensitisation messages on prevention of COVID-19. It is hoped that government will recognise the quintessential role media play during such times and create a conducive environment for them to flourish. picture courtesy of Get Fit Zambia Overall, the socio-political environment in the third quarter remained relatively unfree in view of the continued harassment and attacks on media outlets and practitioners. Further, the surge 15 https://diggers.news/local/2020/07/28/diggerspartners-with-ministry-of-information-to-escalatecovid-19-awareness-campaign/ 19