Media support MISA’s Media Support Programme activities in the year under review focused on media professionalism, media accountability, gender, HIV and AIDS, election coverage and a range of capacity development initiatives, including the Scholarship Exchange Programme and skills training in on-line publishing. Other support projects included commissioning and conducting research to assist the media in providing valuable services to the citizenry. In line with this, MISA continued to support the establishment of self-regulatory media councils in the region. Self-regulation Working within the Media Association of Zimbabwe (MAZ) coalition, MISA succeeded in establishing the Media Council of Zimbabwe (MCZ). The council is now functioning and has been assisted to fundraise its own resources. As part of supporting self-regulation, MISA and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) have entered into an agreement regarding the development of sustainability for media councils in the region. An amount of Euro 50,000 (about US$70,600) has been provided by FES to support media councils’ sustainability in the region during 2009. MISA Zambia held several meetings with partner organisations to resuscitate the Media Council of Zambia (MECOZ). These took place in November 2008, while a follow-up meeting was held at Panos, an international organisation aimed at ensuring that information is used effectively to foster debate, pluralism and democracy. The participants at the meetings agreed that MECOZ could be remodelled so that it could include more media institutions. This process is expected to be completed in 2009. MISA Mozambique is supporting the establishment of a media council in Mozambique. Editors of mainstream media houses approved a code of ethics at a meeting held in Beira. This code was used during the campaign and voting of the Municipal Elections held in 43 municipalities in November 2008. In pursuit of this goal, three regional conferences were held to find a common platform with the Mozambican Union of Journalists (SNJ) on the need for a self-regulatory instrument approved by media workers. Over 200 journalists attended these meetings. The code was also used as a platform for monitoring the media coverage of the elections. A report was produced and submitted to the editors for approval, after which it was formally launched in March 2009. For the first time in Mozambique, a report using scientific tools was designed and unanimously approved by the editors in a national event. Media awards MISA held its media awards ceremony at its annual general meeting in August 2008. The Press Freedom Award was awarded to Professor Fackson Banda, a leading media academic and freedom of expression activist from Zambia. Publicity for the John Manyarara Investigative Journalism Award was done through the printing and distribution of posters. Each national chapter launched the awards with a press conference, and entries increased by more than 100 per cent from 17 in the previous year to 40. In September 2008, MISA Botswana hosted its 13th media awards ceremony and fundraising dinner, which was attended by over 500 people. In February 2009, MISA Zambia held its annual media awards, with the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha; several MISA Zambia cooperat- 30 Annual Report 2009