GOVERNMENT has challenged media houses to exercise high ethical and professional standards by preserving the norms and values of society in their reporting.
Chief Government spokesperson, Mwansa Kapeya echoed concerns raised by the general public over pictures of scantily dressed nightclub patrons, which have become a common feature in most weekend editions of some sections of the print media.
Mr Kapeya, who is Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, said media practitioners should be reminded that Press freedom is not a blank cheque for them to do as they wish without due regard for the social and moral sensitivities of society.
“As a matter of fact, media freedom, like all other freedoms, is not absolute. It is equi-distant to responsibility. The more freedom the media has, the more responsibility it should equally have in exercising that freedom for the good and benefit of society,” he said in a statement.
He said media practitioners should desist from willfully fishing for morally distasteful pictures from nightclubs for publishing in the newspapers.
[pullquote]“It would be very sad to find a newspaper carrying detestable pictures in church in a Christian nation such as ours,” he said.[/pullquote]
Mr Kapeya also called upon media bodies such as the Press Association of Zambia, Media Institute of Southern Africa, including the Zambian Media Council, to intensify their promotion of ethical and professional conduct in the media fraternity.
“For its part, Government remains unreservedly committed to providing a conducive environment for the growth of a free, independent and professional media that will contribute meaningfully to national development,” he said.
Mr Kapeya said while Government fully appreciated the argument that the media was a mirror that reflects the realities on the ground, it also recognised the fact that the media was an agent of change that could positively influence undesirable realities on the ground.
He said newspaper publishers should be mindful that there were people who bought newspapers as they went to church and carried them into the temples.
“It would be very sad to find a newspaper carrying detestable pictures in church in a Christian nation such as ours,” he said.
He said publishing nude pictures was not only corrosive morally, especially to the young generation, but also a recipe for social vices such as sexual abuse, defilement and rape which were detrimental to the well being of society.
He also appealed to patrons, both men and women, to exercise decency and modesty in their dress as they enjoyed themselves in nightclubs in conformity with the customs and traditions of the nation.
We know that at any given time men only have enough blood to either go to the brain or the pen’s. When either is at work, the other is dead. I feel sorry for any woman who doesn’t know this scientific fact.
It’s true Princess and that is why when men have been caught in the act they will later regret saying I was not thinking!Yes you were not thinking because the manhood was engaged while your brain was disengaged.
@nubian princess – thats why you kept your garden clean by employing a gardener to work and care for the land. this way the market value of your property increased, and you could later sell at a higher price ayi mummy.
imwe ba kapeya, i have been meaning to ask you. where is your friend Joseph Kabwe?
Thank you Nubian Princess
No wonder i have the hots for you!!!
Mr Kapeya, for once you have said something sensible. I would urge you to however, get to the bottom line and name and shame the culprit. We all know that Fred Mmembe is behind this. He (Fred Mmembe) is not interested in women hence his ability to openly disrespect them the way he does. PF, for your own survival, boot the man out of your camp. He is making you unpopular with the populace because he is narrow minded and does not like humanity. Thats the only reason him and Kabimba can be such good friends.
Why beat about the bush be man enough and mention the POST as the culprits.
Those with ears, let them hear. Ba Kapeya this is the best voice you have ever given to Zambians! Mmembe should be morally rotten too!
Mr. Kapeya I agree with you, the media not publicise such material. The people who wnat to see those pictures should just go to the night clubs, period. It is not good to expose n u d i t y to the young ones. Nice word ba Kapeya God bless you.
Mr. Kapeya I agree with you, the media must not publicise such material. The people who want to see those pictures should just go to the night clubs, period. It is not good to expose n u d i t y to the young ones. Nice word ba Kapeya God bless you.
What we see in night clubs is the decency fit for those places. The one who is immoral is the one who brings those pictures outside the club. I have never heard anyone complain about pictures of Body Builders. We all say it is a sport and yet the participants are semi nude. If it were a miss Zambia contest veryone would complain
Doesnt it amount to seditious publications with intent to corrupt the public morals? Our law provides for prosecution of such as if the persons therein in did not consent to the publications. Furthermore any concerned member of the public can make a complaint to the police on behalf of the state to have the publisher summoned and cautioned pending charges. There is enough publications to support the case.
I totally agree with you on your comment.
its only the pf post which enjoys in displaying nudity..why not face them head on and discipline them?
So you are all now going to doctor the constitution so that you prescribe morality ON YOUR TERMS, right???
With modern Phones..hahahaha…will be sending online , we need to see the gadgets in newspapers, why pretend as if u dont do it
Men what do we have to say about this??judging by the comments sentiments shared ni feminine touch cabe…i hope ba Kapeya’s comments will not negatively affect this friday weekend post as we wait to feast on more of the nude photo’s from the Fally Pupa show
one way that I have found effective is to boycott the papers that are in the habit of publishing such pictures. remember it is not only the post, but even the daily mail has joined in.
100% correct Hon. Minister! what makes us to be indoors during such functions is because we dont want to see thiose things. What difference has it got if what we are avoinding to see are in the next day newspares? It must stop and Hon. don`t even beat about the bush simply tell those newspares owners as you know them.
Is Zambia a Christian Nation?