#GUEST ARTICLE: Journalists must take charge of self media regulation process, not charlatans

By Mabvuto Phiri

Media owners should be completely detached/removed from the self media regulation process because of their vested commercial interest.

Theirs is to pay decent salaries for reporters to remain ethical at all times. A poorly paid reporter remains compromised and will fail to uphold ethics.

The country has sufficient mechanisms and laws for now to deal with erring and unprofessional conduct.

Truth be told, the process has been hijacked by media owners for their own self interest and clearly, if media owners want to regulate themselves, let it be.

We should be able to pick lessons from the Public Relations Officers, who on their own have established their independent body without their superiors getting involved.

It is time legitimate journalists take charge of the process and not allow charlatans overshadow the process.

Some journalists turned media owners should also be clear on what their status is either they want to practice or run these media institutions, anyway, we know some of you are just figure heads of some hidden characters and individuals.

Media owners should not be worried as long as they have employed qualified journalists.

I am speaking as someone with experience over a period of twenty years having served on both ends of the coin.