UPND won’t gag media houses - Mweetwa
CORNELIUS Mweetwa, the Information and Media Minister has said he is on firm ground to call out media houses that are unethical and unprofessional in their conduct and discharge of their mandate.
Mr Mweetwa, who is also Chief Government Spokesperson said in an interview yesterday that he and the UPND administration had no intentions whatsoever to gag the media but shall always censure media houses perceived to be unethical.
He however, said he had the responsibility to call out media houses that flouted laws which were administrated by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA).
“First of all, there is no gagging of the media whatsoever. My press briefing where I made reference to the lies and pro-opposition propaganda being churned by KBN Television was live. I made reference to the unethical and unprofessional conduct of KBN,” Mr Mweetwa said.
He said while it was the responsibility of IBA to regulate broadcasting, media houses still fell under his ministry and so the buck stopped at him.
“The media is not beyond reproach. Everyone is answerable to the law. No one is above the law, so even we, in the media do not enjoy immunity to lies under the guise of media freedoms. How do you host a T.V programme anchored on lies that the President went to the Copperbelt to commission a toilet?” Mr Mweetwa wondered.
He said it was not fair to insinuate that he had intentions to gag the media because he was a friend of the media.
He said some of the people who spoke the loudest on media freedoms were quiet when thePatriotic Front (PF) had allegedly put the country under siege.
“Daily Nation is a vuvuzela of the PF. They fought me as an individual when we were in the opposition but as a newspaper, they still remain my friend. And so even KBN is still my friend and nothing will stop me from speaking out my mind,” Mr Mweetwa said.
He said he was aware that some media houses were far leftist while others were right wing and Government media was centre but as Minister of Information, he had to listen to all so that Government is better informed.