EU envoy commits to media development
European Union (EU) Ambassador Rune Skinnebach says the bloc is committed to supporting the country’s media in skills development to strengthen its role in holding leaders accountable.
The diplomat made the remarks on Tuesday during a meeting with the management of Nation Publications Limited (NPL) at the publisher’s head office in Blantyre.
“We encourage the media to move with the times and embrace the changes that the media landscape has seen of late. As EU, we are here to offer any support to develop media skills,” said Skinnebach.
He said one of the areas which the local media can do better is investigative journalism.
“In-depth reports can help Malawians make informed decisions, especially as Malawi goes towards election period. This is one area that I feel the media in Malawi can develop further,” said Skinnebach.
He hinted at EU’s plans to support skills development of the media so that they effectively do their job and take a decisive role in the upcoming elections.
Thus, Skinnebach encouraged NPL management to thoroughly prepare its coverage as the elections approach.
On his part, NPL deputy chief executive officer Alfred Ntonga said investigative journalism thrives where there is political will and though currently the media is finding it tough to get information, the media house is doing everything it can to do its job.
“We cannot work in isolation. To fight corruption through a thriving investigative reporting system, we need team work. It is frustrating at times to get information from public officers despite having the Access to Information laws in place,” he said.
Ntonga also pointed out that as an institution, NPL handles information with caution and avoids publishing stories without verified sources.
NPL managing editor Ephraim Munthali said while the media house continues to play its role of informing Malawians on various developments, it faces challenges with getting access to public information.
“Most public officers do not wilfully give information unless they have vested interests,” he said.
The EU Ambassador visited the media institution as part of his tour of some media houses, including Malawi Institute of Journalism and Blantyre Press Club.
