Authority (IBA). The IBA chairman, Brigadier General Justin Mutale, accused the three independent media houses of conducting themselves in an unprofessional manner and cited them as being in contravention of the provisions of the IBA Act. Critics questioned the timing of the suspension order, asking why they were closed down after the election and not before if they allegedly posed a risk to national peace and security due to professional misconduct before the 2016 Elections. Pressure from civil society and media lobby groups pushed for an earlier hearing and the radio stations were subsequently reopened and their equipment returned. Of the wave of violence targeted at media practitioners, the worst case cited was one where two reporters were severely assaulted by ruling party Patriotic Front (PF) youths. Journalists Peter Sukwa from The Post and his counterpart Kelvin Phiri from Feel Free FM Radio in Chipata were physically assaulted by PF youth party members, who then attempted to burn them alive. These actions tend to infer to the curbing of dissenting voices, but this was a point of contention amongst panellists who held differing views. Some of the panellists were of the view that citizens are able to express themselves freely; as evidenced by audiences calling into radio stations and speaking out on a variety of issues, and the critical and diverse voices freely expressing themselves on various social media platforms. Other panellists believe that the space for free expression is being restricted and speaking out has consequences. However, they all agreed that the degree to which freedom of expression is exercised by citizens and journalists is dependent on a variety of factors, which include; the topic under discussion, the level of prominence of the person exercising his or her right to express themselves and the platform used to voice one’s opinion. “When individuals are critical of the state, that is where this freedom is affected, but when it comes to general issues of public interest, people will speak freely. This, however, “depends on who they are.” The enactment of the Independent Broadcasting Act is seen as a progressive move as it allows for a conducive broadcasting environment that paves the way for a three-tier broadcasting structure and an independent board. However, the manner in which the three broadcasting media outlets were shut down and their equipment seized is reflective of the flawed manner in which the IBA Act is implemented. Citizens access to diversity has however been expanded by the prolific growth in the media industry, with 105 radio stations and 34 television (TV) stations operating in the country. Based on Zambia’s advertising expenditure which is estimated at 8.5 million kwachas per month (US$856 000), it is difficult to explain 8 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ZAMBIA 2017