STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA 5.0 Freedom of Expression Online – Mainstream Media/Cyber Space On a note of victory, the quarter under review recorded an instance of media freedom protection coming from the Speaker of the National Assembly. On the 9th October, 2019, The Daily Nation Newspaper publication carried a heading “Speaker Rules In Favour Of Daily Nation.” It was reported that the Speaker of the National Assembly yesterday ruled in favour of the Daily Nation Newspaper in a point of order raised by Katombola Member of Parliament Derick Livune against the tabloid for publishing a cartoon which portrayed that UPND MP’s do not care about climate change. On 24th September, 2019, Mr Livune rose on a point of order and expressed displeasure on the cartoon published in the newspaper on September 21, 2019, suggesting that the UPND MPs were being unreasonable on the issue of climate change in their debates in Parliament. The paper reported that the Mr. Livune had accused the Daily Nation of trying to dent the name of UPND and interfering with its MP’s abilities of providing checks and balances on Government. It was reported that the cartoon depicted persons in other countries making exhortations: “Let us all fight climate change; “Climate change is killing the earth;” and “Climate change is real”. In contrast, UPND MP’s were depicted as stating in Parliament that: “Climate change is not an issue.” The paper further reported that the MP said: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on the Managing Editor of the Daily Nation Newspaper. As the custodian of our Privileges and rights, we seek your Protection, because on Pages 8 of the Daily Nation, Dated Saturday, 21st September 2019, there is an article to do with Climate change. It is telling the world that climate change is not an issue. “Mr, Speaker, the subject of the matter is that, as UPND MPs and it is on record that none of us under played the importance of climate change. However, all we have refused is for members of Parliament on the right to mislead the nation and hide their inefficiencies in Climate change issues. “Sir, I seek your serious ruling as regards the protection of our rights to provide checks and balances on the Government’s failure to properly Plan for the nation. Is the Daily 32