MEDIA bodies have rejected recent calls by the Government and members of Parliament for the regulation of the media saying the decision was misplaced and was made out of emotions.

The media instead urged the Government and MPs to focus on implementing the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) and the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation Acts of 2002.

Recently, MPs have called for the regulation of the media through a statutory body especially during election periods in order to prevent the practitioners from being biased.

The Press Association of Zambia (PAZA), Zambia Media Women Association (ZAMWA), Zambia Union of Journalists (ZUJ), Press Freedom Committee of the Post, the Media Council of Zambia (MECOZ) and the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) said this in a joint statement read by MISA president, Henry Kabwe in Lusaka yesterday.

The media bodies were also backed by two local civil society organisations, on their stance.

Mr Kabwe said the media did not need regulation from the Government or Parliament because it was capable of regulating itself and it was currently doing so through Mecoz.

"We note with regret that some of these parliamentarians have chosen to condition the enactment of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill to statutory regulation of the media.

"They have unreasonably continued to state that for the FOI bill to be enacted, there must first be statutory regulation," Mr Kabwe said.

He said practitioners rejected the calls for such regulation because media freedom and public's right to know, which was the cornerstone of any vibrant democracy, could not be regulated through a statutory body.

Mr Kabwe said the calls were unfortunate because the FOI was meant to benefit the Zambian people while the media was just but a few of the beneficiaries to the bill which was still pending.

"We have explained many times that the two must not be confused in the manner the Honorable MPs are doing," he said.

Mr Kabwe said there were available laws in the Electoral Act of 2006 that govern the media conduct during elections.

He said the Electoral Code of Conduct of 2006 under chapter 12 section 4 and 5 provided a channel for addressing issues of unfair treatment or coverage by the media during the course of election campaigns.

Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) executive secretary, Goodwell Lungu said the calls to have the media regulated was misplaced and undemocratic.

Mr Lungu said those calling for regulating the media were undemocratic and enemies of Zambia because the country could only develop through a free media.

Foundation for Democratic Process (Fodep) president, Stanley M'hango said democracy could only flourish if the citizens were informed and that this could only be achieved through a free media.

Mr M'hango said in a speech read for him by Fodep media liaison officer , Macdonald Chipenzi that a free media contributed to the free conducting of elections in the country.