MISA-Malawi elects new NGC

[Gregory Gondwe] The Malawi Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-Malawi), on Saturday 10 September 2011, elected a new National Governing Council (NGC) amidst protest from members who were against some proposed changes suggested by the body's headquarters in Windhoek, Namibia. 13 Sep 2011 10:50

Uncertainty grips MBC as court stops merger

[Gregory Gondwe] On Tuesday, 6 September 2011, the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) was gripped with uncertainty as the High Court in Blantyre stopped the merger between the MBC and Television Malawi (TVM). This followed an injunction sought by over three quarters of employees of the state broadcaster were fired, retired and redeployed last week. 9 Sep 2011 10:29

Malawi media suppressing local content - Study

[Gregory Gondwe] Malawi media is said to be slowly becoming a tool for suppression of local content and local languages according to research studies released by the Journal of Development and Communication Studies of the University of Malawi. 5 Sep 2011 13:33

Blantyre Newspapers dismisses 44 employees

[Gregory Gondwe] The month of August seemed to have casted a bad spell on Malawi media as on the day that state broadcaster, the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) retained over 400 employees out of over 700, Malawi's oldest newspaper company, the Blantyre Newspapers Limited (BNL) fired 44 employees. 1 Sep 2011 10:11

MISA appeals to Malawi authority on journalists safety

[Gregory Gondwe] Although a second planned anti-government mass demonstration that was slated for Wednesday 17 August 2011 was called off, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Regional Secretariat appealed to the Malawian government to ensure security of journalists during the demonstrations. 18 Aug 2011 12:56

Malawi: MACRA stops radio coverage of demonstrations

[Gregory Gondwe] Malawi, on 20 July 2011, turned on its head as demonstrations against bad governance turned violent, prompting Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA) to stop all privately-owned radio stations, which had been covering the proceedings live, from doing so. Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS), Capital Radio and Joy Radio all confirmed receiving communication from MACRA to stop covering the demonstrations. 21 Jul 2011 13:32

Malawi: JUMA to introduce Best Practices Award

[Gregory Gondwe] The Journalists Union of Malawi (JUMA) has announced that, effective next year 2012, it will present the Best Practices Award to two media institutions, both electronic and print. Apart from the award, JUMA has also come up with a number of instruments expected to assist Malawian journalists. 13 Jul 2011 11:20

African people disillusioned with leadership - Moeletsi Mbeki

[Issa Sikiti da Silva: @sikitimedia] "African people - like me - are completely disillusioned with the performance of their leaders because of what they have done and what they are doing, and for me these people should not be called leaders, but rather the elite," Moeletsi Mbeki, brother of former South African president Thabo Mbeki and chairman of the SA Institute of International Affairs, said, speaking at the CNN-MultiChoice media forum currently taking place in Bryanston, Johannesburg, on Friday, 24 June 2011. 24 Jun 2011 11:56

Malawi: Government agency registers banned newspaper

[Gregory Gondwe] The Weekend Times, Malawi's evening tabloid which was banned by the government agency, The National Archives of Malawi, has been given a reprieve with an announcement that the ban has not only been lifted, but that the paper has now been registered. The National Archives of Malawi issued a statement indicating that the newspaper was duly registered on 19 May 2011. 15 Jun 2011 12:29

Press freedom celebrations tempered with concerns

Yesterday, Tuesday, 3 May 2011, was the 20th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day, begun in Namibia as the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of principles calling for a free, independent and pluralistic media throughout the world. Celebrations around the world were tempered with concerns about the erosion of press freedom and in South Africa, SANEF called on Government to review its proposed legislations that has seen SA downgrade from 'free press' to 'partly free'. 4 May 2011 09:13

Decline in press freedom experienced in key countries - report

WASHINGTON: The number of people worldwide with access to free and independent media declined to its lowest level in over a decade, according a Freedom House study released yesterday, 2 May 2011. The report, Freedom of the Press 2011: A global survey of media independence, found that a number of key countries experienced significant declines, producing a global landscape in which only one in six people live in countries with a press that is designated Free. 3 May 2011 14:00

Malawi's journalists kick-start Press Freedom Commemoration

[Gregory Gondwe] Although the World Press Freedom Day Commemoration falls on 3 May every year, Malawi media started commemorating the day on 23 April 2011. 26 Apr 2011 07:31

Concern mounts over missing SA journo as govt scrambles to assist

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] As concern mounts over the fate of Anton Hammerl, a South African photographer missing in Libya alongside two US journalists and one Spanish photographer, the Presidency said yesterday, Wednesday, 20 April 2011, that President Jacob Zuma has been briefed on the attempts made by the SA mission in Libya to locate Hammerl. Reports from Washington DC also suggest that the White House is very concerned about their well-being and it is trying hard to assist them in any way it can. 21 Apr 2011 11:10

Malawi: Newspaper apologises for quoting dead source

[Gregory Gondwe] The Daily Times has apologised to the Malawi readership for carrying out a story in its Monday, 18 April 2011 edition that quoted a cabinet minister who died last year but was portrayed as having attended a function that took place last week. To make matters worse, the story also carried a picture of the dead former cabinet minister of health Professor Moses Chirambo. 19 Apr 2011 10:11