AS we celebrate the World Press Freedom Day today, journalists the world over are expected to push for more freedoms from political and civic leaders so that they can operate more freely in their day-to-day activities.
Leaders on their part, who have the power to legislate either for or against media freedom, are likely to affirm their commitment to the fundamental principles of media freedom.
The fact that we are currently living in the digital age makes inevitable the ability of all citizens to voice their opinions and access diverse, independent information sources.
In this respect, we are glad to note, as Information Minister Kennedy Sakeni says, that the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), which has been pending for a decade, is now in place.
We are further encouraged by the minister's assurance that the first IBA director-general will be engaged soon, while the Access to Information Bill (AIB) will be tabled before Parliament in its next sitting.
All this is surely good news for the local scribes who will today have reason to smile while celebrating the World Press Freedom Day, which is their day.
The two developments will further assure the journalists of more freedom to carry out their duties, which freedom all believe has been enhanced now after the Patriotic Front (PF) ascended to power.
Again as Mr Sakeni says, the PF has certainly gone another mile in fulfilling its campaign promise to free the media so that it can carry out its noble role of informing, educating and entertaining members of the public.
Now the media fraternity can boast of more than 60 private and community radio stations, as well as 10 private television stations.
We again agree with the Government spokesperson that all these developments have placed Zambia among those African countries with the most open and liberalised airwaves.
Besides, this has been the formation of the Zambia Media Council, a non-statutory media regulatory body that came on the backdrop of calls by local journalists for self-media regulation.
So as we watch media personnel march along the streets and give speeches, they will re-iterate their call for a self-regulatory mechanism.
They will further demand from the authorities more freedom to operate freely, as well as safety assurance in their day-to-day activities, especially that the latter has come out prominently in the global theme for this year's World Press Freedom Day, namely 'Safe to speak: Securing freedom of expression in all media'.
Security of scribes is equally highlighted in our own theme which states 'Safety of journalists and media workers'.
In the area of safety of journalists, it is not all our sources that can be said to have abided by this tenet as occasionally, scribes have been either harassed or beaten up altogether by some news sources.
We urge all our sources, and potential news sources, to realise that journalists are not enemies of the people but simply professionals conducting their noble duties and should, therefore, not be harassed in any way.
So as we remind all and sundry of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression, the authorities should be asked to help scribes address various challenges they encounter which include harassment, beatings as well as threats of beatings.
Leaders on their part, who have the power to legislate either for or against media freedom, are likely to affirm their commitment to the fundamental principles of media freedom.
The fact that we are currently living in the digital age makes inevitable the ability of all citizens to voice their opinions and access diverse, independent information sources.
In this respect, we are glad to note, as Information Minister Kennedy Sakeni says, that the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), which has been pending for a decade, is now in place.
We are further encouraged by the minister's assurance that the first IBA director-general will be engaged soon, while the Access to Information Bill (AIB) will be tabled before Parliament in its next sitting.
All this is surely good news for the local scribes who will today have reason to smile while celebrating the World Press Freedom Day, which is their day.
The two developments will further assure the journalists of more freedom to carry out their duties, which freedom all believe has been enhanced now after the Patriotic Front (PF) ascended to power.
Again as Mr Sakeni says, the PF has certainly gone another mile in fulfilling its campaign promise to free the media so that it can carry out its noble role of informing, educating and entertaining members of the public.
Now the media fraternity can boast of more than 60 private and community radio stations, as well as 10 private television stations.
We again agree with the Government spokesperson that all these developments have placed Zambia among those African countries with the most open and liberalised airwaves.
Besides, this has been the formation of the Zambia Media Council, a non-statutory media regulatory body that came on the backdrop of calls by local journalists for self-media regulation.
So as we watch media personnel march along the streets and give speeches, they will re-iterate their call for a self-regulatory mechanism.
They will further demand from the authorities more freedom to operate freely, as well as safety assurance in their day-to-day activities, especially that the latter has come out prominently in the global theme for this year's World Press Freedom Day, namely 'Safe to speak: Securing freedom of expression in all media'.
Security of scribes is equally highlighted in our own theme which states 'Safety of journalists and media workers'.
In the area of safety of journalists, it is not all our sources that can be said to have abided by this tenet as occasionally, scribes have been either harassed or beaten up altogether by some news sources.
We urge all our sources, and potential news sources, to realise that journalists are not enemies of the people but simply professionals conducting their noble duties and should, therefore, not be harassed in any way.
So as we remind all and sundry of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression, the authorities should be asked to help scribes address various challenges they encounter which include harassment, beatings as well as threats of beatings.