Malawi Broadcasting Corp. claims to accommodate diverse views
Management of the state broadcaster Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) says it strives to encourage its journalists to be featuring diverse faces and voices on both its television and radio channels even amid what it says the challenges that it faces.
“As a public broadcaster we are trying to open up more and more to people of different parties and ideologies to air their views on our channels,” says Ruth Gama, Public Relations and Marketing Officer at MBC in a statement made available to Nyasa Times.
The statement comes few days after Nyasa Times reported that MBC Director General, Dr Benson Tembo summoned three journalists to explain about airing interviews with former President Bakili Muluzi, and that as a result, the three journalists are uncertain over the future of their jobs.
“It is a routine that the Director General meets with senior editorial staff on regular basis from time to time to discuss editorial matters and the management of news,” Gama said, without shedding more light on the reason behind the removal of Muluzi’s voices from later news casts.
In the story, impeccable sources at MBC told Nyasa Times that MBC boss summoned Kondwani Chinele, Austin Kachipeya and the chief producer Emanuel Thwala to explain on an interview aired during the MBC’s news bulletins in which Muluzi talked about Eid-al-Fitir and the Nelson Mandela’s birthday.
The sources also revealed that MBC was forced to remove the Muluzi’s voice clip from 8 pm news bulleting which was aired a t6pm news bulletin the process which delayed the 8pm news casts by 20 minutes.
“There is no journalist who has been reprimanded for any story they may have done,” Gama said.
However, sources said the development has sent shivers among MBC staff who strive to stick to professionalism following calls of turning the state broadcaster into public broadcaster that would entertain diverse voices regardless of political affiliation.
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