State of the media report July - Dec 2022 3.0 3.1 RESULTS / FINDINGS FINDINGS ON THE IMPACT DIGITAL RIGHTS IN ZAMBIA A respondent who is an expert in digital media journalism was engaged by the researcher and she said: The media in Zambia covers digital rights issues but the accuracy and comprehensiveness of their coverage can vary. While there have been instances where the media accurately reports on digital rights issues, concerns have also been raised about media freedom in Zambia and government censorship, surveillance, hate speech, OBGV, and harassment of journalists. The participant experienced restricted internet access during a period of power outages in Zambia in January 2021. While the respondent did not experience specific website blocking or content filtering, there have been reports of the Zambian government proposing legislation that could restrict freedom of expression online. In a face to face Interview one Female Digital Expert complained ‘’I have encountered censorship or restrictions on my access to digital content. In January 2021 Zambia experienced heavy load shedding of over 12 hours a day. During that period digital equipment would go off and there would be nowhere to charge because I do not have a power back up. It is at that moment that access to the internet was restricted because of lack of power sources. “(Digital Expert 1) Another Digital Expert said ‘In the period under review I have experienced the slowing down internet speeds but not the blocking specific websites or social media platforms and filtering content. In the past however, there have been reports of government attempts to restrict access to digital content. For example, in 2020, the government proposed the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Bill, which contained provisions that were used to restrict freedom of expression online. The proposed bill was met with criticism and protests from civil society organizations and the media and is currently under review by the new dawn UNDP government.’ (Digital Expert 2) Furthermore, the respondent mentioned that the Zambian government had shut down social media platforms during the 2021 General elections, which has had a significant impact on access to digital content and freedom of expression online. This indicates that the government may take measures to restrict or control access to digital content during politically sensitive periods. Therefore, when conducting research on the state of media reports in Zambia, it would be important to consider the sources of information and the potential biases that may exist. It would also be important to gather information from a variety of media outlets to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the state of digital rights reporting in Zambia. Additionally, the lack of awareness on digital rights issues in Zambia suggests a need for continued education and training for media personnel to improve the accuracy and comprehensiveness of their reporting on digital rights issues. 3.2 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF INCIDENTS OF CLASHES BETWEEN MEDIA AND STATE AND POLITICAL INTEREST Since MISA Zambia was established, its reports on media freedom have featured more often than not clashes between police and journalists or the media during the course of duty. Instances of Police fishing out guests from live radio programmes have been recorded by MISA Zambia. Detention of journalists by police including harassment are also on MISA Zambia reports. Sadly, guns have also been pointed at journalists as they were carrying out their duties by police officers. The questions that begs to be answered is why do such incidents happened and how do they impact journalists and media freedom in Zambia. For instance the State of Media Report of 2017 produced by MISA Zambia reported that Zambia Police Officers initiated and harassed a Journalist by the name of Osward Yambani then a Muvi TV reporter as he performed his duties. According to a report dated 10