Malawi continue publishing The Weekend Times pending judicial review of the order by the National Archives of Malawi for BNL to stop publishing and circulating the paper. Alert Date: November 23, 2010 Person/institution: Bingu Wa Mutharika, MISA- Malawi Violation/issue: Legislation MISA-Malawi wrote to President Bingu Wa Mutharika, seeking an audience to discuss a number of issues pertaining to media freedom and freedom of expression in the country. The meeting was expected to take place in December 2010. Key issues on the agenda include challenges being faced by the media such as threats on journalists’ lives as well as threats of closure of media houses. The meeting was also supposed to discuss the proposed amendments to Section 46 of the Penal Code that empower government to ban newspapers. The proposed amendment reads: “If the minister has reasonable grounds to believe that the publication or importation of any publication would be contrary to the public interest, he may, by order published in the Gazette, prohibit the publication or importation of such publication.” Before the proposed amendments, the section only prohibited importation of seditious publication. Meanwhile, human rights activists and media freedom advocates described the proposed amendment as the most unfortunate development the country has seen in recent times. Communiqué Date: November 29, 2010 Person/institution: Bharti Airtel Violation/issue: Other One of the country’s mobile network providers, Zain Malawi, rebranded for the third time since 1999. The Company is now known as Bharti Airtel. Communiqué Date: November 29, 2010 Person/institution: MACRA, Fixed Phone Companies Violation/issue: Victory Plans were underway by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) to allow fixed phone companies to start operating full mobile networks. This was after the regulatory body announced that it was working on a new telecommunications licensing system which would be technologically neutral. Alert Date: December 7, 2010 Person/institution: Gabriel Kamlomo, Lilongwe Magistrate Court Violation/issue: Victory The Lilongwe Magistrate court has set free Gabriel Kamlomo, online editor for Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS), a privately owned radio station. Kamlomo was accused of publishing ‘false information likely to cause public alarm. Making her ruling on 2 December 2010, Senior Resident Magistrate Vikochie Ndovi said the court found Kamlomo with no case to answer. Communiqué Date: December 7, 2010 Person/institution: Penelope Kakhobwe, MCM Violation/issue: Victory The Media Council of Malawi (MCM) appointed new Executive Director, Penelope Kakhobwe, to replaced Baldwin Chiyamwaka. LIBERDADE DE ACESSO A INFORMAÇÃO GERAL por Ian Malera (Advogado, T & Partners F, ex-membro do Comitê de Ética, Reclamações e Disciplina do Conselho de Comunicação Social do Malawi (MCM) Nacional do Conselho do BCE) O ano de 2010 começou com uma nota muito ruim quando a emissora estatal controlada proibida a reprodução em seu ondas da música de um músico popular críticos do governo. Uma das canções questionou a maneira pela qual a sucessão dentro da hierarquia do partido no poder estava sendo tratada. No final do ano, o Conselho de Comunicação Social do Malawi, em sua tentativa de ser independente e autoregulação dos media, lançou o Código de Ética e Conduta Profissional bem como a Política de Credenciamento de Imprensa e Cartão Scheme. O Código é destinado a reger a conduta dos jornalistas e proprietários dos meios de casa, enquanto o credenciamento destina-se a separar aqueles reconhecidos como jornalistas aqueles que apenas disfarce, como tal, de modo a promover a integridade e profissionalismo. Embora o Malawi Autoridade Reguladora 44 2010 2010 45