State of the media report July - Dec 2022
indicates that police interference with journalists is not limited to inexperienced journalists,
but can affect journalists at all levels of experience. It underscores the need for better training and guidelines for law enforcement officials to respect press freedom and the rights of
journalists.
8. Use of Press IDs: Although all journalists know that IDs are important, they still cover sensitive assignments without their press IDs. This highlights the need for better awareness and
education among journalists about the importance of press IDs and their role in protecting
journalists from arbitrary detention and harassment by law enforcement officials. It also
underscores the need for better mechanisms for obtaining and verifying press IDs, to ensure
that journalists have access to them when they need them.
9. Workshops for Police Officers: The respondents suggested workshops for police officers
to help them appreciate how the media works. This is a positive step towards building better collaboration and understanding between police and journalists. It can help to improve
communication, mutual respect, and trust between the two groups, and ultimately promote
greater respect for press freedom.
The information collected from the respondents provided highlights on the need for clear and
consistent procedures for police to follow when detaining journalists, better training and guidelines
for law enforcement officials, and improved collaboration and understanding between police and
journalists. These measures can help to prevent incidents of interference with journalists and promote
greater respect for press freedom.
Further, additional information provided highlights the need for better training and guidelines for
law enforcement officials to respect press freedom, better awareness and education among journalists
and media houses about the importance of press IDs, and better collaboration and understanding
between police and journalists. These measures can help to prevent incidents of interference with
journalists and promote greater respect for press freedom.
The information provided by the respondents through the questionnaire highlights the challenges
faced by journalists who are interfered with and detained by the police, as well as the need for better
protections for press freedom. The data indicates that police interference with journalists is not
limited to inexperienced journalists but affects journalists at all levels.To address these challenges,
the recommendations include developing clear procedures, improving training for law enforcement
officials, increasing awareness among journalists, building collaboration and understanding between
police and journalists, and documenting and reporting incidents. These measures can help to promote
greater respect for press freedom and prevent incidents of interference with journalists.
Overall, protecting press freedom is essential for a functioning democracy and a free society. The
media plays a crucial role in informing the public and holding those in power accountable. Therefore,
it is crucial that journalists are able to work without fear of harassment, detention, or other forms
of interference by law enforcement officials. Implementing the recommendations outlined above
can help to ensure that press freedom is protected and journalists can carry out their important work
without hindrance.
To appreciate police operations and to get a clear understanding of how the police operates, the
researcher engaged the Zambia Police.
The researcher engaged Police Deputy Public Relations Officer Danny Mwale.
The researcher asked the respondent to give statistics of how many journalists Zambia Police
detained or arrested between July and December 2022 and he said he was not able to say because
cases at the police are not separated depending on one’s profession. The respondent was then asked

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