SECTOR 4 All mainstream media are currently involved in ZAMEC, but the organisation is still working on ways to engage with online media, as anything can be posted in this forum, and this can be done anonymously, thereby presenting challenges for regulation. Although it took a long time to establish, ZAMEC has a National Governing Council (NGC) and is planning to employ an ombudsperson – “ideally someone eminent with values of impartiality” – in its secretariat. The ombudsperson will be the lead adjudicator, and consult the NGC sub-committees when necessary. The main task for ZAMEC is to ensure that it becomes and remains self-sustainable, as “those who subscribe to it do not want to entertain donor funding.” At the institutional level, there is a need for media practitioners to “relearn the basics” of professional standards and ethics when they enter, and throughout their tenure in, media institutions. Where institutions have their own codes of conduct, these are not well publicised, and the public therefore cannot hold them accountable to these standards. Additionally, in terms of issuing apologies, panellists felt that media had to be more accountable to the public. “The media is often in a defensive mode. So an apology for a mistake made in a front-page story is on page seven under a very big ad.” “The media needs to come out and accept that the public has a right to hold them to account. They fear that giving an apology can be held against them, but it is necessary.” The Post has its own press ombudsman, who is “supposed to adjudicate complaints and concerns from the public”. The Office of the Press Ombudsman was formed in response to the lengthy process of realising ZAMEC. Despite this potential duplication of roles, The Post is a “fully committed” member of ZAMEC, and the “setting up of the office does not take away from ZAMEC’s process”. The Post’s ombudsman receives complaints from members of the public, and reviews and addresses these. Where necessary, “high-standing members of the public” may be called upon to advise on certain issues. The ombudsman advises the editor on his ruling and the paper takes action accordingly. If the complainant is unhappy with the outcome, he/she may consult other channels, such as the courts or ZAMEC. The Post’s Office of the Press Ombudsman was launched in March 2013 and the procedures that surround it have not been adequately advertised, but efforts are being made to address this. To date, three complaints were received between the period between the Office’s launch, and the AMB Zambia. 60 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ZAMBIA 2013