State of the media report Q1-2021 Similarly, on 21st February, Patriotic Front cadres disrupted a live programme on Radio Luswepo, featuring Democratic Party President Harry Kalaba, causing damage to property in the process. Another incident was recorded on 10th March involving Radio Chete in Nakonde which was teargassed by PF cadres for running a programme which featured opposition UPND Provincial Chairperson, Reverend Mathews Chilekwa and an aspiring candidate, George Sinkala2. The trend of political attacks against media houses was equally recorded in the previous year, with property damaged and persons injured in some of the cases. The net effect of the attacks is the instilment of fear in journalists, who will not make independent judgment or host individuals considered to be critical of the state for fear of political retribution. In essence, these are acts of censorship and actions that result in self-censorship and it is inimical to the media fulfilling their function-particularly that of being a civic forum for debate3. One of the interview respondents, a legal practitioner and human rights defender, noted that: “The environment is highly toxic. Media are operating in an environment of fear. This is partly because of the past experiences of media houses being shut down and people arraigned before courts for alleged defamation and seditious offences” Another respondent, Head of a governance related civil society organisation, noted that: “The quarter was scary with cadres from the ruling party storming some radio stations in Northern Zambia in an effort to prevent opposition leaders from interacting with voters through radio…the environment was not conducive as media houses and practitioners remained exposed and vulnerable to political harassment and intimidation” The other side of political attacks against paid for programmes is the loss of revenue for community radio stations which mainly rely on the sponsored programmes for revenue as there is little commercial activity in most rural towns, hence fewer advertisements. The economic effect of attacks by cadres is elucidated further in the economic environment section below. 2 As reported to MISA Zambia by Radio Chete. See also https://zambiareports.com/2021/03/12/4-thugsarrested-nakonde-attacks-chete-fm/ 3 According to Norris, P. (2000). A virtuous cycle: political communications in post-industrial societies. New York: Cambridge University Press. 11