Two sets of rules for the media

By Macphersson Mutale
Zambia National Broadcasting Services (ZNBC) has become a familiar casualty of every ruling party. Today, the first 20 minutes of its news are routinely devoted to the United Party for National Development (UPND) while the opposition is virtually erased, despite electoral laws requiring equitable coverage for all political parties.

Yet when private media show similar bias, regulators move swiftly with cautions and sanctions. The double standard is glaring. Private outlets answer to private owners; ZNBC belongs to the public and is funded by taxpayers of every political persuasion.

This should never be normalized. We said it under the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD). We said it under the Patriotic Front (PF). We say it now under the UPND. The faces change, but the abuse remains: every government treats ZNBC as a ruling party mouthpiece instead of a truly independent public broadcaster.
Greg Kaputula: “ZNBC is not regulated by Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA). As long as this status quo continues, ZNBC will always remain ZNBC”.
MacGreg Kaputula that’s the problem and every politician has paid lip service to this status quo.
Changwe Kabwe: “Greg Kaputula But the Electoral Code of Conduct obligates ZNBC to play fair. This is just an issue of laws/rules/guidelines, it’s a systemic abuse of state institutions and this happens because we give jobs to cadres who don’t deserve to be in those positions. The P.S at MIMS, the Board & Management at ZNBC are all complicit in this mess”.
Ingrid Nayame: “You people watch ZNBC? I last

watched it in 2021 at the inauguration of the president. After that I moved on with my life 😆”.
Macphersson Mutale: “Ingrid Nayame I watch the news everyday”.
Leroy Mutale: “Every change of government, ZNBC get’s new set of viewers 🤣🤣🤣”.
Malikana Chewe: “Very accurate observation, even on normal programming, I’ve not heard of any opposition political adverts except those debates, yet they cover the president on all his rallies as working visits. This truly needs to change”.
Xyulu Justin: “ZNBC is only covering party members who will still vote for the same party. Its now becoming irrelevant and only valued by politicians still living in the past. I would recommend it is privatised if I had a say”.
Mackson Munkombwe Jr. :”Xyulu Justin ZNBC became irrelevant kudala che even before the 2016 general elections….. Imwe that’s when you’re seeing it aini”.
Jones Freeman Simukoko: “Ba ZNBC has always been controlled by the ruling party… Very bad a media house like them. But I don’t expect the pf DNA in opposition to complain. It will be very hypocritical of them”.
Elliott Sakala: “SABC , BBC are national broadcasters yet they are independent. SABC will cover Malena live doing a rally”.
Martin Meita Musonda: “You will get fired or demoted for doing the right thing especially at ZNBC”.