27 September 2008
The Media Council of Zambia (MECOZ) has appealed to media houses to exercise fairness and impartiality in the coverage of all the four presidential candidates taking part in the October 30 elections.
MECOZ chairperson, Rose Nyondo, said in astatement released in Lusaka yesterday that the media should at all costs desist from insults, inflammatory and derogatory language because such a trend would not help the public during the electoral process.
"MECOZ maintains what it had said during its radio programme in July this year on Radio Phoenix that insults and the use of any unpalatable language by the media are unacceptable in the journalism profession," Sister Nyondo said.
She said MECOZ wanted to remain on record again that insults by any media institution were unethical.
Sr Nyondo said MECOZ had received a complaint against the Post Newspapers from the MMD campaign committee dated September 22, over the editorial comments that the newspaper had published since August 20, 2008.
Sr Nyondo said the MMD had accused the Post of publishing more than 20 editorial comments full of hate speech against their presidential candidate, Rupiah Banda, whose personality and character was said to have been scandalised without any good cause.
In a letter to MECOZ, media committee chairperson for the MMD campaign team, Chibeza Mfuni, said that from August 20 the Post Newspaper had published editorial comments full of hate against Mr Banda who is the MMD's candidate.
Mr Mfuni said in the 20 editorial comments the personality and character of Mr Banda had unfairly been scandalised without any good cause.
"This kind of practice is not only unethical but also a gravely dangerous practice that is taking away from our fledgling democracy. The paper has allowed itself to be manipulated by what clearly appears to be personal vendetta against Mr Banda," he said.
He said that the power reposed in journalism as a noble profession presupposes responsibility and tolerance of divergent views, difference of opinion, and choices in political, commercial, religious and social interests.
Sr Nyondo also said there had also been several public concerns expressing disappointment at the conduct of the media in the coverage of the electoral process by focusing on what had been described as personality attacks.
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