By Nyasa Times 

The Malawi Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has condemned President Bingu wa Mutharika for taking a direction towards oppressing the media in the country. 

MISA-Malawi has since asked Mutharika to champion media freedom and regard the media as partners in development. 

In its media statement dated September 1 2010, MISA-Malawi is reacting to Mutharika’s threats to close down media houses and arrest journalists that write negatively about his administration. 

“MISA-Malawi has noted with disappointment that there is lack of respect for media freedom and freedom of expression in the country. The media in Malawi continue to be threatened by government authorities and other sectors of society, including some members of the public,” reads the statement. 

It is signed by MISA-Malawi national director Aubrey Chikungwa and national chairperson Brian Ligomeka. 

The president accused journalists in the country of deliberately misrepresenting facts when writing their stories. 

“MISA Malawi is also aware of threats on individual journalists as well as media houses, from people who claim to have been defamed in stories written by the concerned reporters or published by a particular media house,” adds the statement. 

Adds the statement, “Contact and dialogue are, in our view, the proper channels of addressing differences, other than issuing threats, especially in this age. 

“Freedom of expression and the right to report and publish freely is enshrined inthe Constitution which the president is supposed to protect.The head of state should therefore not be seen to be in the forefront violating the constitution by denying members of the public, including the media, the freedom to report and publish.” 

MISA-Malawi says it feels that government actions can easily be construed as a deliberate and strategic crackdown by those in authority on media houses deemed to be critical of the government. 

Says the statement, “We also feel that such actions instill fear in journalists and other media workers and the overall assumption would be that government is slowly but earnestly taking strategic steps at silencing the media.” 

The media watchdog says that in their view, the media in the country is fulfilling its rightful role as watchdog of society and taking a proactive role in alerting responsible authorities to put in place necessary measures to curb any impending crisis. 

Argues MISA-Malawi, “Journalists in the country have in the past sounded the alarm and played the whistle blower role on corruption issues. 

“The authorities acted on such news articles and arrested the culprits. The same media practitioners have in the past issued alerts on impending outbreaks of diseases and the authorities at the Ministry of Health acted accordingly. The media should therefore be allowed to watch and keep guard against any developments in society.” 

MISA-Malawi advises government and indeed any other persons who have problems against journalists in the country, to channel their complaints through media bodies such as MISA Malawi or the Media Council of Malawi which are mandated to guard against violations against media freedom and professional ethics, respectively. 

MISA Malawi has also called on journalists to be responsible when reporting. 

“MISA-Malawi has always emphasized that it does not condone irresponsible reporting.

We encourage journalists in the country to be factual and thorough when writing their stories. Irresponsible or mercenary reporting should have no place in the country, and indeed elsewhere,” the statement says. 

Mutharika sounded an alarm to arrest journalists and close down media houses that write negative stories about his administration.

His outbursts came following a story in one local paper that quoted a SADC report that over one million face starvation. 

The Malawi Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has condemned President Bingu wa Mutharika for taking a direction towards oppressing the media in the country.

http://www.nyasatimes.com/national/misa-malawi-dresses-down-mutharika-on-media-threats.html

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