STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA The following week, Ms Siliya was quoted telling journalists to stop being channels of insults. She explained that the media should help build the nation through responsible reporting and not hide in the name of media freedom when they use insulting language. The Daily Nation14 reported that: Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Dora Siliya says the media freedom does not mean using freedom to insult and demean other people in public. Ms. Siliya said this when she addressed reporters yesterday that journalists should not allow politicians to use their media platforms to insult and demean people. The chief government spokesperson closed the quarter with a call on journalist to regulate themselves to the save the profession in the country. On 28th September, Lusaka Times reported15: Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Dora Siliya has urged journalists to quickly formulate a self-regulatory media council that will save journalism from total collapse in Zambia. Ms. Siliya has expressed dismay that some owners of newspapers are masquerading as journalists and writing opinionated articles in their publications. Ms. Siliya says society also expects journalists to follow their code of ethics which state that opinion should be different from fact and should belong to different columns of the newspaper. The continuation of treating as criticism of every news item not in favour of government, is worrying as it does not show freedom of the press. It shows that government does not accept opposing viewpoints contrary to the spirit of press freedom. 14 15 Daily Nation – Don‟t be medium of insults – 14th August, 2018 Lusaka Times – Regulate yourselves and save journalism, Dora Siliya tells the media – 28th September, 2018 14