THIS week we give chance to the readers to have their say on what has been discussed in the recent past. I have particularly received so many reactions on the installment about Muvi TV showing the private parts of the Chongwe man who was bobbited by his wife.
Dear Xavier,
Allow me to comment on the gaffe by Muvi TV to show private parts. The media in Zambia has been crying for self-regulation for it to perform its functions without fear or favour.
But in as much as media freedom is welcome, it is imperative that media practitioners exhibit high levels of professionalism and responsibility as they discharge their duties.
Professionalism and responsibility should encompass, among other issues, objectivity, truthfulness and respect for other people’s privacy and so on.
However, the recent exposure of the Chongwe man’s injured private parts by Muvi TV was not only shocking but disgusting!
Muvi TV and indeed other television stations should be mindful that parents nowadays encourage their children to watch news for them to be abreast with current affairs and thus it is highly likely that children saw the Chongwe victim’s injured private parts.
I can only imagine the reaction of the people who were eating at the time Muvi TV showed the picture, let alone the man’s in-laws and other relatives.
Having exposed the man’s face, private parts and name, it is no doubt that the Chongwe man together with his children (if any) and relatives will be at the centre of stigma and discrimination, as is the case already on social media.
The pictures went viral on Facebook, making me wonder how the hell University Teaching. Hospital (UTH) personnel allowed such despicable pictures to be taken leak on social media.
UTH, like Muvi TV, evaded the privacy of the Chongwe man in question, an act worthy of condemnation in the strongest terms!
Muvi TV, like other media organisations, played its role of reminding the nation that acts of Gender-based violence (GBV) also affect men but the manner in which Muvi TV handled the whole issue was somewhat unprofessional and irresponsible.
It is also appalling that the Chongwe victim whose brutal wife is currently on the run allowed Muvi TV to expose his private parts.
Showing the medical personnel who were attending to him was understandable but I suspect some “bad eggs” among them acted unethically by taking pictures and leaking them on social media.
Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Joseph Katema has on several occasions reiterated that Government does not want to muzzle or control the media.
Dr Katema, however, has been urging media practitioners in the country to demonstrate that they are capable of regulating themselves by operating ethically.
The Patriotic Front (PF) Government has to a certain extent demonstrated that it is not entirely against media freedom.
It is, therefore, incumbent upon us journalists to prove to the Government that they are able to operate professionally without being regulated by the State.
The best way to demonstrate that is simply by adhering to our journalistic ethical code of conduct.
Concerned journalist, Lusaka
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Hi Xavier,
I have followed this column and sometimes I want to contribute but I get restrained because I feel I am not an authority on issues of journalism that you sometimes bring up not until last week when I watched the poor chongwe guy being undressed on Muvi TV.
Firstly, that gentleman has had his privacy stolen away from him. His pysical wound will heal but not the scar of stigma. Was the television station even thinking about the consequences of showing such things on their news?
Muvi TV has the Kids programme that are aired before the main news which means kids are still glued to TV by the time their main news starts so they should be careful what they show.
Us here in Chilulu we like Muvi TV so much because their programme talk about communities like ours but they should not ride on the ignorance of most of us in the compunds. Also hardly a day passes without seeing a dead body on Muvi.
Muvi TV, you are doing a very good job but please tone down on some of the things you are doing. You are our only option from boring ZNBC.
Langson Nakamamba, Chilulu
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Dear Editor
Hope this mail finds you fine. Through you may I ask what implication this digital I have been hearing about from ministers and former ZNBC Director Chibamba Kanyama is all about.
We the ordinary people do not understand some of the technical language people are using in so many issues. We are told about Millennium Development Goals now this digital migration and sometimes hologram. What animals are these?
It is important that even us ordinary people are sensitised the way Muvi TV did it when they kept announcing about their new channels and their new decoder. I am afraid that maybe the digital migration will mean that the type of TV sets I have will no longer function.
If that is the case, I believe it is better to conduct a sesnitisation campaign so that we start planning for new TV’s . I am sure I speak for a lot of people on this one.
Davy Mbwenya, Nangoma
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The TV Reviewer,
In which areas does Prime TV and CBC show? I read about them in your review some weeks ago but I have never heard a single person who watches those channels. Coulc it be that government has not yet given them a licence?
I think government should give out many tv licences so that we can have range of choice for channels we want to watch. For example on DSTV you just choose if you want to watch news, soccer, cartoons, music, movies etc.
We want to have a better choice. Sometimes it is boring to watch the same things over and over on ZNBC and Muvi TV. Rememer how affordable pay Tv became that time when GTV rivalled DSTV. We should do the same by setting up many stations.
Charles Malupande, Chongwe
#Author’s note; Well these views I am sure will be read by the relevant authorities who should provide responses in due cause.
For more comments manchishi@gmail.com