By Mubanga Mubanga
Information and Media director Henry Kapata says if the government wants to have a correct impression of how it is functioning, it is necessary that it continues to engage the private media.
And Kapata says the government has no intentions of abusing the private media.
Meanwhile, Daily Revelation Newspapers Managing Director Lambwe Kachali has expressed regret with the notion which has been created by those in the government that the private media are enemies with the government.
Speaking after conducting a familiarization tour, Kapata said the government did not see the private media as enemies, but as partners.
“And so the issue of concentrating on the public media or traditional media is so much recognised by the government because they are part of the government that will be unfair for us to operate as a government. Because the private media equally has a bigger role to play, in most cases, the private media will always be with the community,” Kapata said. “And so if the government wants to have a correct impression of how it is functioning then, it is necessary that we continue to engage the private media and not just by using them as ‘father Christmas’ giving them materials to publish, but also to engage them.”
Kapata also added that the government had no intentions of just abusing the private media and threatening them with closure.
“So that they would continue to do business without a cost, not at all because you are a business as well and we need you as partners, you also require those monies and materials for you to function,’ Kapata said.
He said his visit to Daily Revelation would open a new chapter with the newspaper, because the government this year wanted to partner with the private media especially on information dissemination of Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
“We strongly believe that our presence here at Daily Revelation is obviously to open a new chapter, on how best we can work together as a government and private media fraternity. I know there was no time that I worked for the ministry that in my entourage there was a reporter amongst these young men and ladies, not even one day. So that in itself doesn’t suggest well for me, it means that the word inclusiveness is just lip service,” he said.
Kapata said there was a need to motivate those who had created such initiatives of starting up businesses such as print media which he said were very costly.
He said he knew this because he had worked for print media before way back in the 80’s under Zambia Daily Mail and he knew the challenges that the newspaper was passing through at that particular time.
And Kachali said Daily Revelation was established to contribute to the media fraternity and should not be viewed as an enemy of the government.
“First and foremost there is that notion which is quite a negative notion amongst you people in the government that the private media becomes your enemy you are tilted more towards public media. Before we became this company, before we established this company, our goal ahhh…our aim is to contribute positively toward the growth of this country, our allegiance is to the Zambian people, not to any political party, not to any individual no, but to the Zambians. We established this company to contribute to the media fraternity, we understand the gaps that are there, but as we do our work, basically our… what is in our head is the contributions to our country. So that negativity toward the private media shouldn’t be even there. But we aim to be as professional as possible in our day to day conduct and gathering of information,” Kachali said.
Daily Revelation editor-in-chief Patson Chilemba said the appeal for partnership between the government and the newspaper did not entail that the newspaper compromised its independent editorial policy.
“And as we will be accompanying you also on this CDF project and other projects, when we go out there don’t expect us to write what you Mr Kapata want us to write. Because we have got our own way we want to cover events that we go out to cover,’’ Chilemba said.
He further appealed to the government to extend the tax holiday that they have given to broadcasting equipment, to the print media as well.
News editor Agness Changala complained about lack of cooperation from some government officials entrusted with responsibility of giving out to the press.
Changala also complained of lack of security for journalists as they go to cover stories.
She said reporters are abused by cadres from both opposition and ruling party cadres and that even the police who are supposed to protect them detain them and confiscate their gadgets if found at certain assignments.
“I think one of the biggest concern we have is the security of journalists out there when they are covering assignments, especially political assignments ahhhh… they do suffer consequences from both the ruling party and the opposition, sometimes when you cover a story that those in the ruling party view negative or something they don’t like, the next time they see our reporters they are going to caution them or maybe beat them or tell them off over that,” said Changala.
