STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary General Davies Mwila says the ruling party is constituting a social media monitoring team targeted at ending abuse and those found sowing seeds of discord will be expelled. The PF Secretary General was quoted saying: The Central Committee resolved to bring social media abuse to an end! I wish to state here that the era of social media abuse in the party is over! Let me announce that perpetrators of social media abuse in the party and at whatever levels will face the axe with immediate effect! This is a serious resolve by the party to curb social media (abuse). To this effect, the party is putting in place a social media monitoring team to track any abuse of social media. Those found to abuse social media and sowing seeds of discord will not be tolerated in the party!” Mwila said. The issue above can be looked at from two angles: the protection of the integrity of the party and a move by the party to curtail freedom of expression by its members. Analysed from the protection of the integrity of the party’s perspective, it can be argued that control on who and what is posted on PF social media platforms promotes order, transparency and accountability, an attribute that is of utmost importance to the smooth running of an organisation like the Patriotic Front (PF). However, analysed from the angle of curtailing members from expressing themselves freely, it can be stated that this directive maybe aimed at curtailing free expression of journalists. In similar circumstances, on 17th April, 2019 the Times of Zambia Publication carried a headline, “PF Chairperson acts to end Social Media abuse.” The paper reported that the PF National Chairperson Samuel Mukupa had urged members of the party against using social media blogs to promote hate speech. The paper reported that: “The party has noted a disturbing trend on social media platforms where some spiteful bloggers using the name of the party are publishing and circulating insults and other demeaning and derogatory statements as well as voice notes targeted at respective party leaders,” Mr. Mukupa said. It can be stated however that the tendency by people to resort to hate speech and cyber bullying is exacerbated by the self-publishing capabilities that social media and new media tools afford. The calls by the ruling party to champion advocacy against social media abuse is an important step that a ruling party ought to take. 20