The Media Council of Malawi (MCM) has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining professionalism in the media sector.
This was highlighted during a meeting held in Blantyre between the Council and media ombudspersons from the Southern region.
MCM Board Chairperson Dr. Jolly Ntaba emphasized the need for media ombudsperson to open up to the public as one way of restoring public trust in the media.
“This forum provides a timely opportunity for us to move together in the direction that we all want to see Malawi media take, especially now that the excitement for next elections is rising.
It is a chance for us to enhance our complaints handling system, strengthen our framework for self-regulation, and ensure that our journalists adhere to the highest ethical standards. Let us appreciate the power of transparency, openness, and responsiveness in building trust with our audience”, Ntaba explained.
He added that, the principles of media self-regulation are crucial as they ensure that the media continue with their watchdog role without undue pressure from the external forces like government and the corporate sector.
Making his contribution, NPL Deputy Editor Michael Mmeya acknowledged the need to dispose of complaints in a shortest timeframe to maintain public confidence in Ombudspersons.
With financial support from National Democracy for Development, MCM is implementing various activities aimed at strengthen media self-regulation in Malawi by among other things empowering media ombudspersons from various media outlets to resolve complaints before they can be spiraled to the Council.
A total of 16 media ombudspersons from different media outlets in the southern region attended the interface meeting.
