Minister Mweetwa identifies media freedom, responsible journalism as bedrock for democracy

Cornelius Mweetwa, Information and Media Minister, has emphasized the significance of upholding media freedom while also ensuring responsible journalism.

Mweetwa said for democracy to grow, the media has to thrive and it was for this reason that the state of the media reflected the state of the country’s democracy.

The Minister said this when the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) paid a courtesy call on him at his office to introduce the new Director-General, Guntila Muleya.

He congratulated Muleya on his appointment as the Director-General of the Independent Broadcasting Authority.

“IBA plays a vital role in ensuring that the broadcasting media landscape is fair, balanced in addition to promoting ethical standards,” Mweetwa stated.

He stressed that media had a powerful role in shaping public opinion and discourse, and as such it was imperative that a balance was struck between freedom of expression and accountability.

The Minister encouraged collaboration and dialogue between the Ministry and the IBA to address emerging challenges and opportunities in the media sector.

“The new Director-General has been appointed at a very important time when government is facilitating the repeal and replacement of the IBA Act,” Mweetwa said.

He called upon private and government institutions to support the media by placing advertisements on their platforms.

During the same meeting, Mweetwa disclosed that government had not received any evidence-backed complaint that the Registrar of Societies had registered another organization bearing the acronym UKA.

“Should a certificate be presented as proof of that claim, government will then have chance to find out the authenticity of such a claim,” he stated.

Earlier, IBA Board Chairperson, Chisokola Chuula, expressed confidence that the new Director-General would perform his duties well as evidenced by his experience and expertise.

Chisokola stated that Muleya would undoubtedly contribute to maintaining the integrity and credibility of the broadcasting industry.

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