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This report follows a visit to Zambia by a delegation from the International Press Institute (IPI) from 11-17 October 2010 to meet with journalists, media organizations and with government. The major focus of discussions was media regulation. With general elections scheduled for 2011, issues of media freedom become even more pressing in this southern African country.
The IPI delegation spent most of its time in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, but also had the opportunity to briefly visit two stations – one commercial station and one community station – in the small city of Livingstone. Most discussions with journalists revolved around the issue of media regulation in Zambia. This has become a hot topic and primary concern for the Zambian press over the past year. In 2009, the government warned the media fraternity that it must come up with an effective self-regulatory mechanism or be regulated by statute. The media has answered this call by developing and adopting a code and constitution for an inclusive, non-statutory council: the Zambia Media Council (ZAMEC).
Other press freedom issues that were touched upon include inefficiencies with broadcast licensing, the intimidation of media houses, the harassment of journalists at the hands of political party cadres, the use of frivolous lawsuits against journalists and media houses, the proposed registration of journalists, government pressure on the newsrooms of public media, and the lack of a freedom of information act.