STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBA 2.0. Executive summary of State of the Media in Zambia 2nd Quarter 2017 The State of the Media Report is a quarterly assessment of the media environment in Zambia. This edition of the report covers the second quarter of 2017. The report describes the conditions under which the media fraternity and journalists operated during the period under review. The report was prepared for the Zambian Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa – (MISA Zambia). It includes an assessment of the political, legal, economic, technological as well as other salient situational issues that have a bearing on the media across the country. In the final part, it compiles incidences of media violations, communiqués affecting either media institutions or individual journalists practicing in Zambia. Included in the report are a number of interesting incidences that continue to add new developments, twists and intrigues to the media operational setting in Zambia, constituting significant developments during the review period. The Second quarter of 2017 saw the continued onslaught on media institutions and press freedom and freedom expression generally. It was in this quarter where the Economic and Equity Party leader Chilufya Tayali is cited to have said that the Closed Post newspaper will just be looted and the money will go into the pockets of those colluding to grab the newspaper if Zambians allowed lawyer Lewis Mosho to go on with the liquidation. Announcing the postponement of a scheduled peaceful demonstration dubbed “Give Back The Post Newspaper to the owners” Mr. Tayali said he would not give up on the quest because him and his party were certain that this case was a clear abuse of power by president Edgar Lungu and his colluders in the name of Mosho, High court judge Sunday Nkonde and the five former workers of The defunct post newspaper Andrew Herbert Chiwenda, Roy Habaalu, Bonaventure Bwalya, Mwendalubi Mweene and Abel Mboozi. Lusaka High Court judge Gertrude Chawatama had ruled that Gotv’s case had shown sufficient grounds to proceed to trial despite Top Star’s application that the matter be dismissed. This is in a matter where GOtv sued ZNBC and TopStar 6|Page