Journalists concerned about community radio news ban

A group of concerned journalists in Malawi have called for the repeal of a media law that bans community radio stations from broadcasting news. The issue has dogged Malawi's broadcasters for some time, but it rose to prominence again during an international conference on the role of community radio, held in the southern city of Blantyre earlier this week. A spokesman for the National Media Institute of Southern Africa (NAMISA), Innocent Chitosi, told IRIN that Evans Namanja, director general of the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA), reminded delegates of the controversial Section 51 (3) c of the Communications Act. Chitosi said the warning appeared to have been directed at the Malawi Institute of Journalism (MIJ) radio station, although a number of other community radio stations broadcast news. MACRA has previously accused the MIJ, considered a training ground for journalists, of biased reporting and warned that it risked losing its licence. Chitosi said the latest warnings have been seen as an attempt to silence media, other than the state-controlled Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and Television Malawi, ahead of next year's elections. "The MBC news is just about the ruling United Democratic Front and the president's diary," Chitosa said. "But the MIJ puts people first and quotes the opposition." A statement released by NAMISA said: "Community radio gives all political players and ordinary citizens a platform to air their views." Chitosi said that NAMISA, the Malawi chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa, had a meeting scheduled with parliament's media committee later in June to discuss the matter. "Although the act stipulates that community radio stations can't broadcast news, it is against [section 35 and 36] of the Malawi constitution which provides for freedom of the media and freedom of expression," he said. Chitosa said they would also ask for a review of the MBC and MACRA boards to ensure that they are composed of media professionals. With a high percentage of Malawi's population living under the poverty line, many people cannot afford television sets or buy newspapers, and rely on community radio stations for information.