State of the media report July - Dec 2022 in the dead hours of 16th December 2022 and stole five Television sets, and four editing computers among other items. MISA Zambia Chairperson. Rev. Fr. Dr. Barnabas Simatende said the institute was very saddened by the incident but was elated to hear that the equipment was recovered. While the Muvi TV case had mostly a happy ending, it was not the case for KBN TV which was reported by News Diggers on 12th May 2022 to have lost equipment to a theft. According to the newspaper, KBN TV chief executive officer Kennedy Mambwe described theft of the television station’s equipment as an assault on press freedom. As in the Muvi TV case, police said they were holding a security guard in connection to the theft of KBN equipment worth K260, 000. The paper reported that unknown people stormed KBN TV and stole studio equipment, laptops among other items in the early hours of 11 May 2022. The above cases are but examples of some of the 24 incidents indicated in the info graphics that negatively impacted media freedom and freedom of expression Positive Developments Meanwhile, the period under review also recorded some positive developments. The appointment of Ms. Loyce Saili as Zambia National Information Service (ZANIS) Director was a great milestone for gender equality in the media leadership realm. This is a major milestone as she became the first female ever to be appointed to such a position in the major media houses. Government through Ministry of Information and Media Permanent Secretary Kennedy Kalunga announced that the Ministry of Finance has released K7.2 Million towards the installation of FM transmitters in fifteen districts around the country to expand access to radio signal. On the legal front the Republican President His Excellence Hakainde Hichilema, abolished the Death Penalty and Defamation of the President provisions in the Penal Code. The President assented to the Penal Code Amendment Bill Number 25 of 2022 which abolished the imposition of the death penalty. This is a welcome move as this piece of legislation was inimical to freedom of expression by media and politicians, including citizens. The period under review also witnessed a number of consultations and validation meetings around Access to Information Bill organised by the Ministry of Information and other cooperating partners. According to the Ministry of Information and Media, government was past the stage of deciding whether Zambia should have an access to inform law or not. The country was at a stage of deciding what type of ATI Act would be ideal. It is hoped that the Bill will see the light of day after many decades of MISA Zambia advocating for it to be enacted. However, prospects for its enactment seemed high as the year came to a close because government had developed a roadmap for the Bill’s enactment. 30