CHAPTER THREE 3.1 Conclusion A Review of the quarter shows that there has been a huge setback in terms of enactment of the ATI bill with pronouncements that government was thinking twice about taking the bill to Parliament. This is saddening especially given the progress (though not satisfactory) that has been made over the last 13 years since the bill was first mooted in Parliament. Several players continue to hold out hope that the ATI bill will one day be successfully enacted in Zambia in line with global trends that are gravitating towards open, transparent governance that allows citizens to fully participate and influence decision making through access to vital information as per procedure outlined in the bill. The highlight of the quarter is the successful migration from analogue to digital terrestrial television broadcasting. This may have brought with it certain challenges, but it is hoped that the opportunities will override them. It is also hoped that the period remaining before the final switchover will be used with maximum efficiency to create awareness and iron out the issues obtaining around the structure of the migration process. That way, the final switchover will be well received come December 2015. 3.2 Recommendations 3.2.1 Election Reporting It is recommended that media houses deliberately set an agenda when it comes to elections. The media has the responsibility to ensure that key issues are raised on behalf of the electorate and discourse followed. It is also recommended that women (and girls) as well as other marginlised groups are given a voice during elections and that their issues are brought to the fore. In a country where women make up over half the population, women are key in term of voting as well as contributing to the economy. It is hoped that the number of women as sources of news and information will increase. Specifically: There must be capacity building for Journalists on election reporting and all aspects of the election cycle. Party manifestos and policies must be made readily available and as much as possible there should be focus on issues and not personalities. There should be guaranteed protection of journalists from political violence and other forms of interference during the execution of their duties. 27