STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA
STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA
in enacting the Access to Information Bill, the push for statutory media regulation, the debate on
the expansion of the spread of ZNBC to all provincial centres in lieu of the digital migration
process and the appointment and termination of contracts for the Board of Directors at ZNBC, IBA
and the Times of Zambia (TOZ).
In the period under review, Press Freedom and freedom of expression were under threat with
political party cadres attacking radio stations by storming into studios. There were also threats by
government officials and other politically connected individuals on journalists.
It should be noted that the fourth quarter of the year 2019 also scored some victories.
Arguably one of the biggest news received during the period under review were calls by the
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services to support the media in its mandate of
information dissemination and the gesture by the Speaker of the National Assembly to support
Daily Nation newspaper in a case were UPND MPs reported the newspaper to the speaker after a
story depicting the MPs not to care about climate change was published.
4.0 Findings – Overview
The media in the period under review was dominated by debates around the welfare of journalists;
the attacks, harassment and how to improve their conditions of service.
Top on the agenda for the fourth quarter were debates on the restructuring of Times PrintPak
Limited, the debate on social media regulation, the debate on the expansion of the spread of ZNBC
to all provincial centres in lieu of the digital migration process and the appointment and termination
of contracts for the Board of Directors at ZNBC, IBA and the Times of Zambia (TOZ).
Also making news in the period under review were calls for regulation of social media and issues
surrounding the Access to Information (ATI) Bill.
4.1 Policy and Statutory Framework
One of the biggest occurrence in the period under review was the restructuring of Times Printpak
Limited by dissolving the Board of Directors and making changes at management level.

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