SECTOR 4 At The Post, the organisation catered for everything, so there was no need for extra money. Today most organisations don’t provide that kind of arrangement, so the source has to provide the extra funding. Journalists are also working in a very tempting environment. There may be cases when an editor receives a letter of invitation from an organisation stating that ZMK100 will be given to the journalist who covers the story. “That, however, is NOT corruption because it is transparent.” If an organisation writes a letter of invitation and notes that ZMK100 will be given to the journalist, that is not corruption because it is transparent. But if it is an unexpected gift, then that is corruption. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: Score of previous years: ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ 2.5 2017 = 2.9 4.6 All journalists and editors do NOT practise selfcensorship This affects private and public media, as well as online and offline. There were feelings that self-censorship happened at public media organisations. “When you work for public media, you know whose interests you represent.” So, reporters will take ‘certain angles’ on a story, and the cadres also think they have the right to tell ZNBC what to do. Self-censorship is “due to an invisible hand”. In reality, the issues of political interference are very real. There is also a new trend of cyber-bullying and hate speech. People are attacked online, and the attackers will hide behind pseudonyms on social media. “That anonymity is an indicator of fear.” When you are online, there is an ‘invisible hand’ that will make you fear to express yourself openly. “Essentially, what you see is a self-censored internet.” AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ZAMBIA 2021 45