Journalists, particularly those working in private media, are subjected to poor working conditions. They generally earn much lower than their counterparts in the public media, making them more susceptible to ethical breaches and selfcensorship, which panellists noted are commonplace and cause declining trust in the media. A survey conducted by MISA Zambia established the average salary range of journalists as being between ZMK1,000 and ZMK3,500. As a comparison, the living wage in Zambia is ZMK8,000 (US$440) a month for a family of five. Whilst unions have not proven very effective in improving the working conditions of journalists, panellists noted that the new co-regulatory framework has opened doors for discussions on the possibility of establishing a minimum wage for media workers. The panel discussion took place at the Protea Safari Lodge, Chisamba, Zambia from 26-28 March, 2021. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER ZAMBIA 2021 7