STATE OF THE MEDIA REPORT QUARTER 3. 2020 the media sector which has its own peculiarities with regard to economic sustainability and revenue generation31. There is need for a specific stimulus package to be created for the media sector which facilitates information dissemination and supports the functioning of democratic governance in the country through access to information and providing a platform for citizens to express their views, among other functions. It is important that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance) designs a specific empowerment programme in view of the many economic challenges the sector is currently facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic32. This is a position equally expressed by other stakeholders in the quarter under review. For example, the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) called on government to develop a specific stimulus package for the media which is a critical sector. The organisation noted that leaving the media to face the harsh economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic posed a risk of affecting freedom of expression, which the media are a key facilitator33. Other factors that were noted in the economic environment in the quarter under review include the continuation of electricity load management, which led to power rationing, with an average of 6-8 hours of power cuts daily34. The load shedding negatively affected media houses as they 31 33 A summary of government measures in response to COVID-19 can viewed on this brief compiled by KPMG: https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2020/04 /zambia-government-and-institution-measures-inresponse-to-covid.html 32 On August 20, Information Minister, Dora Siliya, regardless, urged media houses to take advantage of the stimulus packages launched by government to help their businesses transition the Covid-19 era. Ms. Siliya said Government was aware that all businesses are suffering the adverse effects of Covid-19 and that media houses have not been spared. She further said media organisations should start thinking of themselves as business entities and come up with innovations on how to survive the decline of revenue incurred. See the full story at https://www.lusakatimes.com/2020/08/20/dorasiliya-urges-media-houses-to-apply-for-thegovernments-stimulus-packages/ This is according to a report monitored in the Daily Nation Newspaper of 12th August. YALI President Andrew Ntewewe urged the government to think broadly on the issue of the stimulus package and include the media especially as the country heads towards the 2021 general elections. Mr Ntewewe said the media has had challenges over the years which have become worse with the outbreak of Covid-19. He highlighted high taxation and the high cost of publishing newspapers for the print media as some of the challenges faced by the media houses. 34 According to a statement issued by Zesco on 3rd September, load management hours were expected to reduce to six hours per day, from the 8-12 hours experienced in the previous months. The load management was attributed to a limitation in power generation caused by low water levels at the company’s major hydropower plants. 29