READING the 13:00 hours news cast on Radio Phoenix last week, the news caster ended up insulting.
Mazabuka Central United Party for National Development (UPND) Member of Parliament Garry Nkombo was reprimanded by Speaker Patrick Matibini for uttering an obscene word in Parliament last year.
While that is no longer news any more, truth is that it was wrong for the news reader to mention the actual word while casting the news on that particular day.
Maybe the best she could have said was simply to say that “Mr Nkombo insulted his colleague in Parliament,” and not mentioning the actual word.
A reader wrote; “Did you listen to Radio Phoenix news in which the news reader mentioned the obscene word about Garry Nkombo being censured for unparliamentary language?
She didn’t need to mention the word *** in the story during the 13:00 hours news.
Komboni Radio
One ardent follower of this column wrote to complain that Komboni Radio in Lusaka breaks most, if not all broadcasting rules, they do that; in the music they play, in the language presenters’ use and style of programming.
That being the case, one wonders why the regulator Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) has allowed such unprofessional conduct on some radio stations.
Radio Chimwemwe 91.7 FM
On his first ever radio appearance as an interviewee on Radio Chimwemwe in Ndola, Ben Kangwa’s emphasis in encouraging up-coming broadcasters centered on three themes; Preparedness, research and articulacy.
That, broadcasters should research thoroughly on any topic they intend to talk about on air, they need to be prepared enough so as not to panic and lose thought while on air, they ought to be coherent too.
Sadly, we hear them (broadcasters) mumble and fumble even on simple topics like sport, failing to mention things like football clubs’ names and background information.
There is, however, hope for improvements to those who are open and keen to improve, after all, today’s broadcasters have more advantages than those of yesteryears.
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Below, Ben Kangwa, broadcast journalist and Media Consultant based in Lusaka looks at Radio’s role in elections.
“You have placed on my shoulders a very heavy responsibility to be ever mindful that I have no leeway for lapses which may induce Zambians to think that they misplaced their confidence and trust in me”.
This was the declaration made by Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu when he addressed thousands of Zambians and foreign dignitaries who had come to the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka to witness his inauguration as Zambia’s Sixth Republican President.
Ten other candidates had taken part in the January, 2015 Presidential election. In his speech, the Sixth Republican President had noted that each of the candidates, during the campaign period, had a profound message to deliver to the Zambian voter, that of wanting to see “our country to go forward and to banish squalor and poverty”.
Mr Lungu had observed that despite eleven candidates vying for the Presidency, only one could end up as President.
President Lungu won the Presidency on a Patriotic Front (PF) ticket with 807,925 votes cast. His nearest rival, Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Democracy (UPND) was close in second place with 780,168 votes.
Edith Nawakwi standing on the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) ticket was in the third place garnering a total of 15,321 votes.
Nevers Mumba of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) was in fourth position with 14,321 votes.
Other candidates were Tilyenji Kaunda, heading Zambia’s oldest party, the United National Independence Party (UNIP), who managed to grab 9,737 votes.
Eric Chanda of the 4th Revolution polled 8,054 votes while Elias Chipimo jr of the National Restoration Party (NAREP) got 6,002.
Heritage Party (HP) leader, Brigadier- General Godfrey Miyanda, was in eighth position with 5,757 votes.
The bottom three were DanPule’s Christian Democratic Party (CDP) with 3,293 votes, Ludwig Sondashi’s Forum for Democratic Alternative (FDA) with 2,073 votes and Peter Sinkamba’s Green Party with 1,410.
The stage for the Presidential election had earlier on been set for Tuesday January, 20,2015 by Acting President, Guy Scott, following the death of the incumbent Fifth Republican President, Michael Chilufya Sata, on October, 28, 2014.
While there were two fundamental roles that  radio was expected to play during the period prior to the election, to inform and educate, other roles such as entertainment, persuasion, agenda setting, propaganda, and advocacy seem to have taken center stage too.
The role of media in the elections as reported on local and international radio and television stations, the print and social media made very interesting reading.
As one would imagine, there were thousands of stories that begged the question, “What pertinent and critical issues should the Zambian media bring to the fore and to the attention of Zambians regarding this election?”A point that came to mind was objectivity and truthfulness. The second point was about the special attributes possessed by each candidate that would make each of them“the voter’s candidate of choice.”
Radio had the responsibility to inform the electorate what the eleven political parties in the race stood for in their manifestos and ideologies and how these would form the basis upon which to find lasting and sustainable solutions to existing challenges that currently faced the Zambian society.
Radio was required to, as much as possible, remain impartial and objective and not to persuade or decide on behalf of the electorate as to which candidate they were to vote for.
Radio was expected to report on issues that would promote unity and stability in Zambia and not extol issues that would encourage dissent, division and hostility amongst the electorate.
It was incumbent on the radio to mobilize and persuade Zambians on why they needed to register as voters well before the election.
The media was expected to be in the fore-front of persuading the electorate to turn out in droves and exercise their constitutional right to cast their vote for their trusted and preferred candidate.
It was also expected to let Zambians know that they were solely responsible for their destiny and that it was up to them to decide what form, pattern and colour that destiny would look like under the mantle of a new President.
The 2015 election is done and over with. In eighteen months’ time, Zambia goes to yet another big election.
Radio will be expected to play a major role, among others, that of being a watchdog, educating voters on how to exercise their democratic rights and that of providing a platform for candidates to communicate their messages to the electorate.
Radio will also be expected to provide information on the political candidates and their parties that by far, will avoid inflammatory language and also help prevent election related violence. 2016, here we come!
Stay tuned, don’t touch that dial! – jackmwewa@gmail.com   0955115777