Malawi govt newspaper to hit the streets in March, says Minister Mussa
Ministrer of Information and Communications Technology Henry Mussa has warned that the decline of “credible” news providers with the advert of fake news spreading like bushfire on social media left the public “vulnerable to news which is untrustworthy”.
Mussa said high-quality journalism was a force for good, disclosing that his ministry is set to introduce the printed press at national level.
Speaking during a familiarization tour to Regional Information Offices in the South, Mussa said it is high time government had a competitive newspaper so that Malawians should have access to reliable information on various public policies and programmes.
“It is sad that in present day, people in the country are not aware of various government projects and other developments government has done since it came into power like the construction of Ida Chilembwe Community Technical College in Chiradzulu.
“The newspaper is projected to be functional by March this year (2019). In fact, it was supposed to be functional way back but due to other challenges, it did not hit the streets. All the necessary preparatory work and implementations are almost half way done,” he said.
“The main aim for creating this paper is to have an informed citizenry,” Mussa added.
Mussa, therefore, advised District Information Officers to provide good quality journalism as the country is going towards general elections, saying it is not good to be writing false stories about other people or the government since that could not take Malawi anywhere.
Malawi has two daily private owned newspapers, The Nation and Daily Times. The publications also own the weekend titles.
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Govt departments and statutory organizations will be forced to buy the “newspaper “. I can also see some nwenye thief being told to buy the first copy at 5 million price.
An embarrassing admission that even propaganda of the mighty DPP at mother of all radios is failing to effectively cheat Malawians. Ndibwino DPP yayamba kuvomeledza kuti ikuluza. It’s good to swallow pride and concede defeat. Positive hope for a bloodless electoral outcome in May..
thats it….a govt run by nkhalamba who makes it worse by choosing felow nkhalambas in higher position……che mussa feel for those poor pple who have no food in their plate all their money owned is heavily cut thru taxes…..make policies to help the poor malawian
Wasting time, who can sit down and read dpp news, madzi akatayika saoleka
Viewership imasalira pa MBC TV pamene amaonera Mwachande lero mwaikapo Saturay 7.30 pm programme yochemerera DPP anthu asiya kuonera ndiye mukuti muonjezere kuononga ndalama zathu ndi nyansi pa newspaper? Eeeesh toilet paper ikhalatu imeneyo.
I never thought Mussa is a narrow thinker. If MBC Radio has failed what makes Mussa believe that most people will read the crap on paper? With such leadership how can a country develop?
So the government is set to counter misinformation with a state-sponsored misinformation? Stupid minister. Chitsiru. No woner we are a very pooor country bcoz we hav zitsiru for ministers
You mean a DPP Campaign newspaper paid for by taxpayers, like MBC.
This has to be stopped
but how do we stop this when everybody just looks puzzled at this government’s impunity in everything they are doing. Rights organizations can not fight this in court. there is absolutely no law that mandates the ministry of information to print newspapers at the expense of our taxes. To put this is illegal. This expenditure is unauthorised
Will this newspaper accommodate the views and opinions of opposition parties? I doubt. Loss of valuable resources.
DPP GOVT HAS NOTED THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT LISTENING TO MBC BECOZ OF ITS BIASNESS. THAT IS WHY THEY RESORTED TO AIRING THEIR RALLIES ON PRIVATE TV STATIONS SUCH AS TIMES AND ZIDIAK TV STATIONS. THIS TO ME IS A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN SUMBULETA AND HIS TEAM AT MBC. DID THE MINISTER REALLY HAVE TO TELL SUMBULETA TO OPEN UP MBC TO THE OPPOSITION?
THESE PEOPLE ARE PANICKING.. NO ONE WILL BUY THIS GOVT PAPER TRUST ME. EVEN IF YOU DISTRIBUTE THE PAPER FOR FREE, NO ONE WILL TAKE IT SERIOUSLY UNLESS YOU LEAVE THE EDITORIAL TEAM TO BALANCE UP THEIR STORIES,
BY THE WAY, MUKUFUNA MUZITISOKOSA NDI AIDA CHILEMBWE TECHNICAL COLLEGE? COME ON, BE SERIOUS MINISTER MUSSA.
Musakakamize zinthu bwana Mussa, palibe chomwe inu a DPP mwachita pa 5 years imeneyi . Zinthu zavutazavuta basi boma mukusiyana nalo chaka chino
Boma lingalembe zanzeru,MBC siinakukwaneni?Ndiye mulimba pa market imeneyi?New is always on the fingertips now,inu going back to paper world zachikale kale basi.Mana,Information,Boma lathu ili kuti?.Ife tikuziwa pepala lomwe lingamanene zenizeni.Muyaluka nalo pepala limeneli.KAPENA MUZIGULISIRA PA Ginery corner eti?kkkkk.Konzani MBC mwina anthu omwe tinataya trust or virginity yathu ochepa okha angabwelere.Viewership ku MBC inatha kalekale coz of kukondera.News yinso izikondera basi muona kuti mupanga bwanji.
Nkhalani ndi manyazi a nduna. Zipangani uchitsiru ndi MBC yomweyo osati muzitipusotsapo apa. Ndevu ngati cheyo
Nthawi yanu yatha inu mukufunano njira zobera ndalama zaboma. Idiots
This is deluded man who thinks there is not enough publicity for cheap development propaganda. Which developments is he talking about. We have seen roads and bridges that are not strong enough to withstand simple rains and are being washed away. This government is failing to fund government institutions like teachers salaries and health training institutions. There is no leadership in this country. These so called ministers are failing Malawi. Malawi needs strong innovative ideas and solutions to plenty problems the population is facing. Hunger and disieses.
There is plenty social media forum to channel news. Malawi doesn’t need propaganda newspaper. It is a waste of government resources.
Mudzidzagulitsana nokhanokha Newspaper imeyo. Please spare our monies!
Waste of public funds again. That’s a stupid idea. The money you’re wasting through MBC you think is not enough? Mandevu uyu nayenso ativuta kwabasi
SCOs should quickly get an injunction to stop the publication of this newspapers. Opposition parties will not have space in this propaganda newspaper and it will be waste of public funds which could otherwise be put to good use. DPP is already monopolizing MBC- enough.
You can as well go and get that injunction yourself Katakwe. why pushing that responsibility to the CSO’s?
Propaganda newspaper in the pipeline. What will be the difference between this newspaper and the unprofessional MBC? Mr Mussa, we know that you want to use the newspaper as DPP campaign strategy.. Whether you like it or not the writing is on the wall..
So want Malawians to be falsely informed by the so called Journalists who are given Mone in order to write bad things about the Govt?Nobody will be forced to buy this newspaper it will be upon someone’s will.There must be competition.Even people are not forced to listen to MBC radios,it’s upon someone’s wish.Why do you tell the CSOs to take an injunction?There is freedom of expression in the country.There are some other issues that the CSOs can do but not this one.Govt go ahead with this good idea Malawians are supposed to be fully informed on what their Govt is doing.