The International Press Institute (IPI) today welcomed the launch of the Zambia Media Council (ZAMEC), a voluntary regulatory system for the Zambian media, which was scheduled to take place this afternoon.

“I am proud to announce that the long-awaited launch of ZAMEC will finally take place tomorrow (today) after three years of planning and negotiations. We are happy that the general public will have an institution to complain to, should they feel injured by a news story,” Gilles Kasongo, chairman of the media committee that established the ZAMEC, was quoted by news reports as saying.

The process of establishing the independent self-regulatory body has been underway since 2009, when representatives from media houses and media organisations first began researching various models for media regulation.

ZAMEC was intended to replace the defunct Media Council of Zambia, and its creation was spurred by a challenge from former Information Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha, who warned media in 2009 that they must either regulate themselves or expect that parliament would create a regulatory body.

Although ZAMEC’s constitution and code of ethics had been prepared by April 2010, proceedings were stalled when the government said the group would be “toothless” and announced that all state-owned media would not be allowed to participate.  Public media are said to employ around two-thirds of the journalists in Zambia.

“We are ecstatic that after years of delay, the people of Zambia will have recourse to a media council, which will also stand up for press freedom,” said IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie. “We send our Zambian colleagues our heartfelt congratulations on this success.”

IPI believes that voluntary, independent media councils constitute the only form of press regulation that does not threaten to impede press freedom.  Such councils offer a cheaper, far faster alternative to the court system, without the threat of criminal penalties or severe civil penalties that could have an inappropriate chilling effect on the media.

IPI has repeatedly called for the Zambian government to stop hindering ZAMEC’s progress and allow state media to participate in the council, and in October 2010 met with government officials and journalists to discuss this and other press freedom issues.