Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom
Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom
Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom
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know <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> background. There are<br />
even cases when government and<br />
ruling party statements are correctly<br />
reported and captured by a ZNBC<br />
TV camera, but <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> news staff are<br />
forced to “correct” <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> story when<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> speakers later feel <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y could be<br />
in trouble with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir employer.<br />
In going al<strong>on</strong>g with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se kinds of<br />
editorial decisi<strong>on</strong>s, many reporters<br />
cite issues of ‘bread and butter’<br />
when it comes to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> job market in<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> journalism professi<strong>on</strong> in Zambia.<br />
Many feel that it is difficult to find a<br />
job if <strong>on</strong>e is dismissed for not abiding<br />
by directives. As result, many in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
ZNBC newsroom engage in pers<strong>on</strong>al<br />
censorship when dealing with antigovernment<br />
stories.<br />
“Even when reporters<br />
go in to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> field to<br />
get balanced stories,<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are normally<br />
frustrated because<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> final story as it<br />
gets broadcast often<br />
does not reflect a<br />
professi<strong>on</strong>al balance<br />
in reporting —<br />
especially if it involves<br />
government.”<br />
In <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> words of <strong>on</strong>e staffer: “We<br />
would cover Sata’s (oppositi<strong>on</strong><br />
leader) rally, and you know Sata is<br />
always c<strong>on</strong>troversial. He would say<br />
things and … you d<strong>on</strong>’t even know<br />
what to write, because everything he<br />
was saying was anti-government”.<br />
When oppositi<strong>on</strong> views are aired,<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re are some unwritten rules that<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y be accompanied by a government<br />
reacti<strong>on</strong> or answer. Actually,<br />
in most cases, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ZNBC story would<br />
begin with a government reacti<strong>on</strong><br />
134 | Media in Africa - 2011<br />
even before <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> oppositi<strong>on</strong> view <strong>on</strong><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> original issue is aired.<br />
Some staffers believe that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir<br />
peers are occasi<strong>on</strong>al victims of<br />
fearing <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> unknown — people who<br />
practice exaggerated self-censorship<br />
even when <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re may not be any<br />
repercussi<strong>on</strong>s. Meanwhile, over <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>years</str<strong>on</strong>g>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> newsroom people have<br />
come to know <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> line to follow,<br />
often saying things like: “Ignore<br />
that story, I d<strong>on</strong>’t want problems.<br />
I just want to go home and be in<br />
peace”.<br />
Of course <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re are people in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
newsroom with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> view that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
ZNBC correctly has its own style<br />
that may not please everybody.<br />
For <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m, every<strong>on</strong>e who works<br />
anywhere should know what is<br />
expected of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m as per instituti<strong>on</strong>al<br />
requirements.<br />
They also argue that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is not<br />
bias when <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> editorial committee<br />
goes through all <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> stories and<br />
decides which should go <strong>on</strong> air.<br />
Regarding editorial independence,<br />
some staffers feel that Zambians<br />
should understand that ZNBC<br />
is a public instituti<strong>on</strong> owned by<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> government <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir behalf,<br />
hence <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> “need” for all staffers to<br />
prioritise <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> promoti<strong>on</strong> of nati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
unity.<br />
If <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> process of c<strong>on</strong>trolling c<strong>on</strong>tent<br />
happens across <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> stages, and is<br />
present wherever <strong>on</strong>e works, those<br />
who are not ready to follow ‘instituti<strong>on</strong>al<br />
guidance’ from senior management<br />
or government officials<br />
are expected to resign. For those<br />
giving <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> directives, this is justified<br />
in terms of every<strong>on</strong>e needing guidance<br />
to protect <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> integrity of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
instituti<strong>on</strong>. It is not <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> questi<strong>on</strong> of<br />
what a reporter believes is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> factual<br />
case, but a questi<strong>on</strong> of following<br />
instructi<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
For example, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y may be given<br />
‘guidance’ <strong>on</strong> how to cover certain<br />
opposing views that are always<br />
antag<strong>on</strong>istic and which use certain<br />
phrases that are too “str<strong>on</strong>g” for<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> public instituti<strong>on</strong> and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
populati<strong>on</strong>, including derogatory<br />
language against o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs.<br />
“Ignore that story, I<br />
d<strong>on</strong>’t want problems.<br />
I just want to go home<br />
and be in peace”.<br />
Zambia’s broadcast legislati<strong>on</strong> initially<br />
led to expectati<strong>on</strong>s that ZNBC<br />
would corresp<strong>on</strong>dingly adjust its inhouse<br />
news policies and practices<br />
to suit <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> legal requirements of<br />
becoming a public broadcaster. But<br />
not much has been achieved.<br />
It is unfortunate that successive<br />
governments have c<strong>on</strong>tinued <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
same path of news interference,<br />
despite revising <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> media laws<br />
and policies at ZNBC. If this trend<br />
c<strong>on</strong>tinues, any<strong>on</strong>e who may assume<br />
senior government office in future is<br />
likely to do <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same, despite having<br />
lofty laws and editorial policies in<br />
place.