Malawi's media practitioners to be accredited

The Media Council of Malawi executive director, Baldwin Chiyamwaka said the accreditation exercise would be carried out by issuing press cards to both local and foreign journalists.

“Everything is now set and we are geared to start the programme with a press card launch in November,” said Chiyamwaka during a consultative meeting for media leaders and specialists in Lilongwe.

The University of Malawi's Dean of Education and Media Studies, Gray Mang'anda applauded the exercise. “It is vital for the country to have identifiable journalists,” he said.

Incidents where many impersonators use names of famous journalists to solicit bribes or partake in some activities where media practitioners are needed, have ravaged the Malawi media.

Chiyamwaka said before issuing out the press cards, the council would hold stakeholders meetings that will include parliament, immigration, faith groups, politicians and government departments.

The council, resuscitated in February 2007, believes accreditation of journalists is one of the central principles in self-regulation.

Chiyamwaka said those to be accredited would include full-time journalists, freelances, correspondants, and students.

What will be looked into before accreditation will be evidence from employers for full-time journalists, work published in the past six months for freelancers to go with a drivers licence or a passport, and a letter from the Journalists Union of Malawi.

Student journalists will be required to produce a letter from their employers as well as their training institutions, while foreign journalists will need to verify through their embassies in collaboration with Malawi's information ministry before being accredited.

The council is yet to come up with a charge for the subscription fee that will cover the cost of production and delivery while foreign journalists will be required to pay an accreditation fee of US$150.