The Media Council of Malawi has reiterated its call for strong collaboration between journalists, the Malawi Police Service and other stakeholders to promote free expression and ensure the safety of journalists during elections.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement on promoting free expression and ensuring journalist safety during elections, MCM Board Chairperson Dr. Jolly Ntaba emphasized that open communication and knowledge sharing are crucial for maximizing their collective impact. He underscored the need for both parties to understand each other’s roles to successfully achieve their common goal.
He said such cooperation is essential not only for protecting journalists during elections but also for combating misinformation.
“The media landscape we are operating in has become more complicated than it was before. Everyone is a journalist now. Most misinformation is spread by those who are not accredited journalists. It is essential to be accredited,” he said.
Dr Ntaba has also urged media practitioners to uphold professionalism as the country approaches elections, emphasizing their responsibility to provide the public with accurate and fair reporting.
“This is the time when a lot of our members are, for a lack of a better word bought to write and report on things. Sometimes that may not be true, and maybe when you’re doing it, you think like you’re doing innocently, but it has serious repercussions on the outcome of the elections.”
Assistant Commissioner of Police for the South West Region, Ulemu Kalua, highlighted the lack of timely information sharing between the Malawi Police Service and media organizations. He emphasized the need to strengthen collaboration between both parties.
Kalua stated that MPS will continue training officers on journalists’ rights and collaborate with the Media Council of Malawi to prevent election-related violence and uphold free expression.
In her presentation, Programme Officer for NICE Trust in Blantyre City and District, Glory Ngosi Maulidi, encouraged open dialogue and collaboration between CSOs, political parties, and the media, emphasizing that these are crucial for building strong relationships and achieving shared goals.
The meeting, organized by MCM in collaboration with the National Commission for UNESCO in Malawi, which brought together civil society organizations, political party representatives, media professionals and officers from the MPS in the Southern region, aimed to strengthen cooperation among key stakeholders in the electoral process to protect press freedoms and ensure the safety of journalists.
