We’ll support ATI Law: Zambian lawmakers

Lawmakers in Zambia have given thumbs up over the stakeholders relentless quest to push for the enactment of the Access To Information (ATI)  Bill into law this year and will render support as espoused under democratic tenets. Since 2002, media practitioners and other interest groups-donors alike have joined hands into pushing

Zambia to expedite access to information law

Zambia’s quest to enact the ‘belated’ Access To Information (ATI) Bill has inched closer after the Government reaffirmed its commitment to actualize it into law, premised on practitioners being responsible and accountable to their role as fourth estate. Last year, Information and media minister Ms. Chushi Kasanda had assured various stakeholders

Draconian laws hinder Media COVID-19 coverage

Threats on media houses keen to investigate the shortcomings and evolution of the COVID 19 pandemic last year hindered adversely practitioners trying to provide objective, researched data on the plague and further frustrated efforts to nurture democracies, a report from the Reporters without Borders (RSF) has adduced. With reporters attacked and

Zambian journalists seek self regulation

After years of seeking press freedom, the media in Zambia wants to self regulate,  a yardstick to enhancing professionalism after years of relentless search for autonomy. In an effort to champion ‘Access To Information’ (ATI) and  promote media freedom for both private and state-owned media houses since early 2000,   the media

Bangladesh journalist Rozina gets Free Press Award

Rozina Islam, senior reporter of Bangladesh’s Prothom Alo newspaper, who is facing a case under the Official Secrets Act by the Health Ministry, has won this year’s Free Press Award for courageous journalism. She could not join the award-giving program at The Hague since her passport had been seized She won the

State secrets, price of vaccine and Rozina’s crime

If anyone still remembers, a journalist by the name of Rozina was intercepted by half of the Health Ministry officials, police and anyone else at  the secretariat who was keen because she had done something wrong.  Physical violence was exerted on her and she was first kept hostage, sent to

Why more media outlets in Bangladesh doesn’t mean more media freedom

Bangladesh’s media ecosystem paints a contradictory picture. On the one hand, the country’s media sector has witnessed significant growth in the past two decades. On the other hand, media freedom in the country is steadily declining. In 2020, Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) Press Freedom Index ranked Bangladesh 151 out of 180