STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBIA The debate on regulation of online spaces has been rife, with three Bills already in the process of being tabled before Parliament to help stop what the proponents of the legislation are calling lawlessness on social media. The three Bills: Data Protection Bill, the E-Commerce Bill and the Cyber Security Bill are meant to address what is being referenced to as the “social media lawlessness” once enacted. Media regulation of any kind has potential to stifle the freedoms of people. It must be noted that if not thought out carefully, the three proposed pieces of legislation bordering on social media regulation have potential to create an unconducive environment for free expression. In as much as there is an urgent need to curtail falsehood on social media, there is also need to be wary of the negative consequences that come with a restricted media space such as increase in rumours and innuendos that turn into fake news. Scholars have argued that the best way to deal with abuse of online media spaces is not to curtail the space but to promote sensitisation efforts on the responsible way of social media platforms. 4.1.2 Access to Information (ATI) Bill The ATI has been a subject of debate since the year 2002. The third quarter of 2019 however was presented with some laxity as pertains the enactment of the Bill into law. Just to recap, in the first quarter of 2019, the Daily Mail publication carried a headline, “Access To Information Bill Approved.” It was reported that cabinet had approved the Access to Information Bill. This was announced through a tweet from Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Hon. Dora Siliya. In the tweet, Ms. Siliya said, the bill was meant to promote proactive and organised dissemination of information to the public. She tweeted: “I am happy to announce that finally Cabinet has approved the Access to Information Bill aimed at proactive and organised dissemination of information. This is a new beginning.” In the third quarter of 2019, it is surprising that the ATI Bill has not been presented to Parliament for enactment after so much hype as witnessed in the first quarter of 2019. As a result, various stakeholders have expressed worry at the non-disclosure of the contents of the piece of legislation. 8