By MAIMBO MWEEMBA
Chief Spokesperson Chushi Kasanda says Government is concerned with the unprofessional conduct of some media houses in their reporting.
Ms Kasanda cited the case of KBN Television station which broadcasted a private telephone conversation between two senior Government officials without verifying the authenticity of the recording with the people concerned.
Ms Kasanda who is also the Information and Media Minister said the act is contrary to media professional ethics and conduct, which demands that a journalist ought to verify any information before publishing it.
Speaking in a statement made available via her Facebook page, Ms Kasanda said the media profession has adequate guidelines.
She said if observed, they can protect journalists from misinforming, misleading and infringing upon other people’s rights.
“Government is, therefore, concerned that KBN found itself in conflict with the law on a matter that it could have avoided had it followed basic principles of journalism,” she said.
Ms Kasanda stressed that, media freedom is not absolute as it comes with responsibility on the part of the media which include verifying information before publishing it.
“Journalists as professionals must guard against falling prey to publishing any information that they collect without verification, the onset of social media has placed higher responsibility on the media never to compromise their ethical and professional conduct,” she said.
Ms Kasanda has since retaliated Government’s commitment to freedom of the media as this is key in the promotion and preservation of democracy.
Ms Kasanda encouraged the media to play its part by being responsible and professional in their work and also wish to always seek clarification from designated offices on various national matters.
