Give Mutharika blackout on propaganda glitz, State House tells Malawi private media

State House has reacted to  a d eclaration issued by  media owners, managers, directors of news organisations to boycott press conferences organised by  President Peter Mutharika, saying instead of handing news blackout, the independent media should desist from propaganda gliz.

Molande:  Mutharika's spin doctor says blackout should be on negative propaganda
Molande: Mutharika’s spin doctor says blackout should be on negative propaganda

The media representatives from Times Group, Nation Publications Limited (NPL), Capital Radio Malawi Limited, Zodiak, MIJ FM Radio Station, Chanco Radio/TV Station, Beta TV, Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Malawi Chapter and Media Council of Malawi (MCM) on Monday held a meeting and came  up with a Mount Soche Declaration.

In the decalaration , the media noted  “the worrying trend being championed by the State House and President Peter Mutharika with a view to limit the media space in the performance of our duty which is to enlighten the public on how it is being governed.”

They have threatened to boycott news conferences organised by State House  for the Head of State, saying what happens at the State House is not a press conference but a press rally.

They also said they will  hand President Mutharika and his Cabinet ministers a news blackout unless press freedom is guaranteed.

But President’s director of communications Bright Molande said if the media owners have decided to break business with government because of its demand for professionalism from some of them “that is their wisdom”.

“But that is not our wisdom. Government remains open for dialogue and no single media owner has asked for a dialogue and was turned down,” Molande is quoted in The Nation as saying.

The President’s spin doctor added: “I hope their blackout includes blackout on misinformation and negative propaganda.”

President Mutharika has been attacking the indpeendent media, particularly Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) and Times Group, over their alleged “disgusting and unprofessional reporting” of his health at the time he “disappeared” after the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in United States of America (USA).

In the declaration, the media owners say they will also move the courts to seek interpretation on the role of the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) which behaves as a police, prosecutor, juror and judge in regulating and policing private electronic media.

“We will present a united front as a media and regard attacks on one as an attack on us all. We will reject divide and rule machinations by the State and we will only negotiate through our mother bodies, Media Council of Malawi and Namisa,” reads the Mount Soche Declaration in part.

The private media has also pledged to ensure that they  stick to professionalism and be above board in the execution of their duties.

 

 

 

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NyapapiNstetezako
NyapapiNstetezako
7 years ago

Gwape ameneyu, come 2019, sazayiona vote ya amalawi akamaphwisa zipwisi zakezo. Waonjeza kwambiri, ufiti wake wafika patali. Nyani!

Chisale
Chisale
7 years ago

I don’t waste my time viewing those blurred images beamed on Zodiac and Times TV for fear of damaging my eye sight.As if this is not enough,the quality of sound from these stations is poor-almost inaudible.Take my word, nobody would miss u if you went off the air now.

lucas
lucas
7 years ago

Zitsilu zatolankhani.No professionalism ku Zbs

Achimidzimidzi
Achimidzimidzi
7 years ago

Mr. Molande, you are right professionalism is lacking in our media houses.

A classic example is MBC TV. Please, watch MBC for 30minutes. You wont sit there again.
We need to have all the MBC staff, including General Manager go back to Malawi Polytechnic, 1st year journalism classes. And make their lecturers are proper registered.

If you tell me there is any JCE holder at MBC, I will be very angry with MANEB because MBC is not communicating anything.

drogba(wabweranso)
7 years ago

Atolankhani a ku Malawi ndinu opusa kwambiri. You talk shit about an innocent person, akayankha it is an infringement on your rights, isnt it? All this time you were spreading lies and gossip about an innocent guy Peter Mutharika, lero wakuyankhani muli mfwemfwemfwe, zautsitu eti? Are journalists the only people who have rights in this country? If you write something true, even though its negative about the Govt, I dont have any problem with that. But if you write something false and negative about someone (as u owez do), now thats unprofessional and you should not expect silence from the… Read more »

Jacob
Jacob
7 years ago

More fire govt dont bow to them . It was their right to establish those media houses and if they choose not to so what? leave them and it will be good for govt they will never speak anything to do with govt hence no rubbish news against govt will be heard by people on the land. These are rude people because despite all the false reports regarding president’s health no media house came out to apologise for those false reports even the mother body media council of malawi is quiet and today you choose not to broadcast or cover… Read more »

critic
critic
7 years ago

Time has come for our useless media to shut up. You have made us poor right from Muluzi rule, Bingu rule , JB rule , now Honourable APM. Welcome for your shutdown attitude. Stupid. Especially GK and BB on times radio. We gonna have Malawi without these useless learned gospers. Bye bye bye Malawi Media. Have your natural death.

Kwacha Malawi
Kwacha Malawi
7 years ago

Times Group and Zodiak stations be proactive of your country. Enanu mufera zaweni nkhani ili apa ndi Times Group ndi Zodiak basi, komano inu Medica Council nanunso mitu yanu simakokoka ngati musiye kuulatsa nkhani ndiye tsopano muzitani? Inu mukupweteketsa ma wailesi ena. Kasakula ndi Brian tangoyambani ndale. Ndipo mulibe ndi manyazi omwe pamodzi achina Tereza awonuwo, mupita kumudzi ndithu kukalima bale. MISA Malawi akupusitsani awa inu ndiye anamanyonyolo a media koma fundo zimene mwapangazo ndizosathaniza M’Malawi ai. Brian Banda you have to change your mindset how to present programmes on the air ndi mzako Kasakulayo. You always use direct attack… Read more »

be humane
be humane
7 years ago

Tsopano Nyasa tell us what the state house has said is it part of the blackout?

bwampini
bwampini
7 years ago

This good news and government should not be intimidated. Let them stop covering government and this should include everything. We should not see the private media posting or writing negative stories about government because that will be going against their own resolutions not to cover government. This will be great for government since the private media think news is rebuking government, news is abusing the presidency, news is lying to Malawians about government and the president, news is about campaigning for the opposition and decampaigning the ruling party. Blackout of news on government will be great news for government because… Read more »

Eduardo
Eduardo
7 years ago
Reply to  bwampini

Positive development and let us see who loses. Private media thrives on government purse.Let the battle lines be drawn.

Sibweni
7 years ago
Reply to  Eduardo

In America, where the media is respected, did all it could to block Donal Trump’s victory to the White House. Finally it has been proven, they the saying; “the sword is mightier than the sword”, is NOT for this 21st century.. In America almost everybody ready the paper or listen to the radio or tv. Malawi media is a bunch of exornorists ignorant and unprofessional dudes. After all we don’t get anything from your media productions. Go to hell

Zakoizo
Zakoizo
7 years ago
Reply to  bwampini

Mau Mau Mau! a comment from an intelligent person. only those with rat brain can disagree with Bwampini

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