Malawi Information Minister applauds Nyasa Times
Malawi’s newly appointed Deputy Minister of Information and Civic Education Kingsley Sostins Namakhwa has commended Nyasa Times, the country’s leading online newspaper, for the good work the publication is doing in disseminating information on Malawi to the rest of the world.
Namakhwa, who is also ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DDP) Member of Parliament, said this in the commercial capital Blantyre on Friday at Comesa hall during the graduation ceremony of the 2008 Malawi Institute o f Journalism (MIJ) diploma and certificate students.
He said as the world is now living in a high-tech era; the internet has proved to be the best tool in spreading information across the globe, which Malawi has not been spared and “Nyasa Times is the publication that many people depend to hear about developments taking place in the country”.
“Malawians are everywhere across the globe and they’re interested to know about all developments happening at home through the internet, the lead source is Nyasa Times and I must say I am proud of Nyasa Times,” said the Junior Minister.
In an interview with this reporter on the sidelines of the ceremony, Namakhwa further admitted that as he is one of the ardent readers of this publication.
“I read Nyasa Times every day,” he said, indicating many people including, shadow MPs, government as well as different party officials “depended on this publication for results and other related issues during the [country’s May 19 Presidential and Parliamentary] elections.
While pointing out that Nyasa Times has “tremendously improved on positive reporting” since elections, “as compared to the past”, he however asked the newspaper and other Malawian online publications to ensure that accurate and constructive information is posted on the internet.
“As Deputy Information Minister I have no grudges against Nyasa Times but my appeal to you and other online publications is that ‘let’s tell the truth about what is happening in the country constructively’,” requested Namakhwa.
In his address during the graduation, whose theme was “Training watchdogs for a democratic society” the Deputy Minister of Information and Civic Education said there was need for Malawi to have a well-trained, free and independent media because it can be a potent force in the fight against corruption.
“I am impressed with the theme as there is some reflection to His Excellency the State President Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika’s famous slogan of ‘Zero tolerance to corruption’. Sometimes called ‘The Fourth State’, the media will always help to stem some abuses before they occur or at least before they reach a critical point,” he observed.
Executive Director for the Malawi Institute of Journalism, veteran editor Jika Nkolokosa advised the 107 and 163 graduating diploma and certificate students, respectively, that “there is any glamour in honest job.” He asked them to work hard to become reliable journalists that will contribute to the country’s growth.
Seeking government and donor support, Nkolokosa took advantage of the Deputy Minister and other dignitaries’ presence at the graduation ceremony to outline some of the challenges facing MIJ, a non-governmental media training school established in 1995 with financial assistance from the European Union (EU) to improve the quality of journalism in Malawi.
He revealed that from September 2005, MIJ has had to run without donor support after the EU stopped funding the organization that also has a training radio station, which is gradually turning commercial for sustenance.
“MIJ has a critical shortage of equipment. Our broadcast equipment is fast getting obsolete as we approach 2015 when all broadcasters will have to migrate to digital signals. We do not have enough transmitters to reach all corners of society and we’re under pressure to pay high broadcast licence fees to [Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority] MACRA.
“We also need production studios for our Lilongwe and Mzuzu campuses to expose our students in those campuses to the same broadcast techniques as their colleagues in Blantyre,” said the MIJ director indicating that only those that can afford to travel down to the commercial city for studio attachment do so.
Speaking on behalf of the media fraternity in Malawi another seasoned journalist Gospel Kazako, who is director of private owned Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS), relatively concurred with Nkolokosa when he asked government to respond to challenges facing the media in the country.
“Ministers or even Presidents and MPs listen attentively as we bring out to them the problems we’re facing as if they will respond but they never act. Journalists in Malawi are facing a lot challenges as said by the MIJ director and there’s need to government to come forward and help because it is their responsibility,” he stated.
Kazako added: “There’s need for the new ministry of information to fully support the Access to Information Bill which is very important for the media in the country and the nation at large. Without passing this bill means these people [graduating journalists] are useless.”
In his response, the Deputy Minister of Information and Civic Education said his Ministry will do all it can to ease some of the pressures on MIJ and the entire media industry in Malawi to complement government’s efforts in developing journalism in the country.
During the ceremony, the Malawi Institute of Journalism also awarded some practicing journalists that have recently graduated from the college and are contributing to the development of the country’s media industry in radio and print.
Tagged with: Kingsley Namakhwa, MIJ
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