STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA 7.0. Conclusion There is an urgent need to get the Access to Information Bill tabled in parliament and its enactment accelerated. The current status quo is not healthy as there is no law compelling public office bearers to release information to the media and the public at large. It is argued that the increase in the usage of self-publishing platforms like social media has culminated into an increase in publishing of information that is usually laden with rumours and hearsay and by the time public office bearers come to clear the air, information released via social media and other self-publishing platforms is inconsistent with the information already in public the domain. The solution to sorting the inconsistence in information access and dissemination is to enact the Access to Information Bill to grant the media and the public access to credible information. Further, there is need for increased advocacy by stakeholders on the need to compel government to make public the contents of the ATI bill. This is important as it will allow for public scrutiny and debate. The MISA Zambia campaign to get ZNBC regulated by IBA must be supported by stakeholders in order to promote the independence of the public broadcaster. Further, increased law suits and attacks on journalists by political party cadres and the Police is worrying. This hostile environment is a recipe for making the operating environment for journalists difficult. 8.0. Recommendations Based on the information made available in this report, the following are the recommendations: There is need to increase news coverage relating to ATI to increase advocacy for its enactment. There is need for government agencies to adopt a culture of dialogue before resorting to harsh decisions like the arrest of Rise FM Station Journalist that was arrested for allowing a discussion programme on the use of the church as a court house. 31