PSAf condemns continued harassment of journalists

Panos Institute Southern Africa (PSAf) has added its voice condemning the continued trend of journalists being attacked by political cadres in the course of their duty in Zambia.

The PSAf has taken note that there is a growing tendency by political party cadres to harass journalists, especially those from media houses they deem to disagree with them.

Executive Director Lilian Saka-Kiefer says her organization has also taken note of the growing tendency by media briefing organizers to invite non-media persons to attend the meetings.

Ms. Saka-Kiefer states that her organization thinks that a media briefing as the name implies is a meeting organized for the purposes of distributing information to the public through the media.

She has told Qfm News that this is besides a media briefing being an avenue for answering questions from media practitioners representing and acting in public interest.

Ms. Saka-Kiefer states that a media briefing is meant for the media only and should therefore be held in a media friendly environment that allow journalists to freely interact with the organizers and freely ask questions and seek information on the topic at hand.

She says the PSAf believes that Journalists attend media briefings to collect information and news for the many readers and listeners that depend on them for news.

Ms. Saka-Kiefer states that PSAf in this case urges political parties to respect the media and press freedom  regardless of whether they agree with the way they are covered or not.

She says her organization further calls on political parties to put in place measures to protect journalists during their public events such as media conferences.

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