During the meeting at the Sports Council boardroom in Blantyre, Chihana challenged the media to always look at the larger picture for the country’s sports development when discharging their duties.
“I am available for you 24/7. Let us work together in sports development,” said the minister accompanied by the ministry’s sports director Jameson Ndalama and Malawi National Council of Sports executive secretary George Jana, among other top officials.
Chihana, among others, assured Swam of cordial working relationship and mutual interaction whenever there is need.
On his part, Swam interim president Peter Kanjere and his delegation called on the ministry and general sports fraternity to open up to the media.
“We are watchdogs and as such we are duty-bound to defend the public and report accurately what is going on anywhere, but in a responsible manner in respect of our ethics,” said Kanjere.
He highlighted some of the challenges sports journalists face such as lack of cooperation from sports officials, lack of established sports desks in some media houses and lack of specialised sports reporters training.
Kanjere also suggested that leaders of delegations for national sports teams travelling outside the country must be mandated to give constant updates back home at a particular office within the structures of the ministry for the media to access information easily.
Swam executive member Greyson Chapita suggested that the ministry should have a press officer while the association’s vice-general secretary Chisomo Mwamadi suggested that the sports journalists too need to benefit from scholarships which Malawi bilateral partners offer.
Swam delegation also comprised interim general secretary Frank Kandu, national coordinator Clement Chinoko and executive members Peter Fote and Kelvin Moyo.
