How many True Journalists are left in Zambia?

[Public]

Dear Zambia,

Too many mass communications majors from Unza. They just came out on the other side of the conveyer belt like mass produced identical products in a factory. Don't know **** about journalism. Some of them are just too much. Just some floozy regurgitating second hand opinions and more concerned that their tie looks just right. And making sure they twisted their tongue just right to sound quasi british.

What you wear doesn't make a journalist. A quest for the truth and delivering it without bias or prejudice. That's what's lacking here, in my opinion. This craft has largely been lost.

[Avid Reader]

Public,

We must be having the shittest, stinkiest, crappiest newspapers in the world because we have the crappiest journalists because we have the crappiest journalist schools.

[Journalism Professor]

There is actually no journalism in Zambia. Journalists do not even pretend to be fair and balanced any more. Does the Post even claim to be balanced? Does the Times/Daily claim to be balanced? They have even stopped claiming that because they know no one is stupid enough to believe that. But then what were they trained for if not to give balanced and fair information concerning the real facts happening? If there is good news for Sata, it CAN NEVER be on the front page of the Times, if there is good news for Rupiah it can NEVER be on the front page of the Post. NEVER. So there is no journalism. No one is committed to the truth and nothing but the truth any more.

They should not even claim to be the fourth estate, because they don't know what that means. They have no integrity.

[Scribbler]

well the best one can do is buy all three newspapers bind them and make one splendid balanced paper--yes yes?

[Journalism Professor]

No, scribbler. many people say that but it doesn't make sense. that you can get balanced news if you read all newspapers.

Both sides can be false. The one praising Banda and attacking Sata can be reporting exaggerations and the one praising Sata and attacking Banda can be reporting exaggerations too. So you still don't get the truth just because you read them all.

The only answer is for someone to be a true journalist who won't compromise and whom we can therefore trust to be giving facts as they are.

[hanene]

May be MUVI TV can open its newspaper.things would be balanced but the MD there cant stand much GOvt intimidation.

[zodie dube]

you are so on point!!!!

[nm]

mukamba chiani chikam...........,u should do the course and make a difference,dnt just parrot.

[cocki]

nim mul(nm)just go and sleep than putting those funny insults.

[nm]

iwe cocki,which insults,i dnt feel like sleeping,u pipo should stop lying,are u brick layers,coz those criticise other professions.

[Jacob]

as you can all tell, nm is a journalist and you can all see for yourselves why journalism has gone to the dogs.

[High Horse]

do not criticise before you have walked in my maliposa-- give the public media a break

[Watcher]

Actually, i can excuse the public media journalists a bit because they have no choice. If they report honestly, they are fired by the powers that be and they have nowhere to go.

But what excuse does the Post newspaper have? How can the owners or editors have no integrity?

How can you be so biased in your reporting? When HH was with Sata, he had some positive coverage, now he only gets negative. Rupiah of course can not be reported on even if he found a cure for aids.

You ought to be ashamed of yourselves because what you are doing is NOT journalism.

[MK]

Theres only Chanda Chimba III left!

[FTJ]

We do not have any true Journalist in Zambia, those who are true left or will soon leave this country. A true Journalist in Zambia will ever be poor and who likes poverty when there is a way out.... sale you dignity and integrity for a piece of meal like Chanda Chimba.

[Public]

I've been reading a lot of support for this Chanda Chimba dude.

Please educate me, people. Are you saying the guy is an unbiased, apolitical, objective journalist?

Please note when I say apolitical, I mean having no political affiliations, agenda or interests.

[Stan]

Public, where did you find support for Chanda Chimba?

[Public]

Stan,

My comment was in reference to MK's on this thread and a few others I read on threads under the titles: "Chamba Chimbwa PIII" and "Chanda Chimba Vs POST & TIZ". Personally, I know practically nothing about this Chimba guy.

[MK]

He does a documentary called 'Stand Up Zambia' in which he exposes the 'other' side of Sata and the Post Newspapers... revealing past inconsistencies, errors of judgment, etc. Very informative guy. However, he does have his fair share of haters.

[Public]

MK,

Thanks for that info. I will try to check out that documentary. I generally like journalists who do exposé material. Making public figures accountable to the people they are supposed to be serving.

I think what both you and me can agree on is that both Sata and The Post have unlimited dirt any good journalist can dig up and expose. But to be an objective journalist, he or she has got to be an equal opportunity exposé journalist. Which means exposing MMD, Rupiah, UPND and whoever else is in the public domain and has some influence on the ordinary Zambian people. If this exposé journalism is one sided then the credibility of that journalist has to be questioned.