STATE OF THE MEDIA REPORT QUARTER 4, 2020 commitment to media freedom are to mean anything, especially that the incident keeps recurring at Mpika Radio. Secondly, the action of police and other authorities interfering in the operations of the media has the potential of instilling a chilling effect and leading to the marginalisation of certain actors for fear of political and legal retribution. The media, according to Norris (2000:9) have three significant functions under normative assumptions of a representative democracy3. The media are expected to facilitate pluralistic competition by acting as some civic fora for debate. The media also facilitate public participation and encourage political learning and interest. Finally, the media preserve the conditions for civil liberties and political rights. These functions can only be fulfilled if a safe and conducive environment is created. The interference in the operations of media houses is clearly a sign of a high level of intolerance of dissenting views, a situation that can influence media performance4. Thirdly, the action of blocking political guests from featuring on radio stations also has an economic effect because it reduces the revenue generated by media outlets, most of which are grappling with the reality of a harsh economic environment as shown in the economic section 3 Norris, P. (2000). A virtuous cycle: political communications in post-industrial societies. New York: Cambridge Unviersity Press. 4 According to findings in Manchishi, K. (2017). Defamation of the President and the law’s effect on media performance: a study of the Post and Zambia Daily Mail Newspaper. Unpublished master’s dissertation. Lusaka: UNZA. P a g e 12 | 56