Free press should be cherished—German envoy

German Ambassador Ute Konig has said an independent and free press is what every democracy should cherish.

Speaking yesterday during a courtesy call at Nation Publications Limited (NPL) head office in Blantyre, the German envoy said despite the popularity of new media there is still a future for the newspapers.

She, however, noted that there is need for stricter fact checking to differentiate with the social media content.

“You are entering difficult waters in recent times… and with the coming of artificial intelligence there are chances of producing lies that are so difficult to detect,” she said.

Konig said fact-checking is essential for free media at a time when it has become easy to falsify stories, pictures or videos.

She said: “Checking on the facts and giving a true picture is a task of a free press.

“A free press also takes part in educating the nation and making it see the choices and the options on the ground and enable people to critically think.”

On his part, NPL deputy chief executive officer Alfred Ntonga said the media house strives for the truth to remain relevant to the readers.

“The newspaper is voted for everyday by the people on the street. For us to win the vote we provide content that adds value to their life,” he said.

Ntonga noted that the situation is changing as the younger generation is reading news via online platforms.

“We have to reposition ourselves because news no longer breaks in newspaper form. It breaks online,” he said.

NPL was established 30 years ago when Malawi was transitioning from one party to a multiparty system of government.

Ntonga met the German envoy in the company of managing editor Ephraim Munthali, Weekend Nation editor Steven Nhlane, Nation on Sunday editor Emmanuel Luciano, Nation Online editor Sellina Kainja and advertising sales manager Gift Sibale.