Media Council accredits 80 professional journalists
Journalists in Malawi will now be issued accreditation cards for easy recognition and identification by members of the public. This follows the launching of ethics and accreditation booklets by the Media Council of Malawi (MCM), a body that looks into issues of journalism ethics, complaints, arbitration and accreditation.

The booklets were launched in the capital Lilongwe on 19 February 2010 at a ceremony that was presided over by Fergus Cochrane-Dyet, the British High Commissioner to Malawi. The two booklets, on ethics and accreditation, are aimed at ensuring that journalists in Malawi are able to maintain the highest professional and ethical standards in the discharge of their day-to-day work.
 
Speaking at the launching ceremony, the British High Commissioner cautioned the media on irresponsible reporting, prejudice and lies. “Journalists should not go into journalism if they are not prepared to behave responsibly in the public interest,” he said.
 
Also present at the launching ceremony was Rev. Patrick Semphere, Chairperson of MCM. He said with support from the British High Commission, MCM undertook a comprehensive consultation process to develop the booklets, which led to printing of 2, 000 booklets on Code of Ethics, Complaints and Arbitration Procedures and 1, 000 copies of the Accreditation Policy, Procedures and the Press Card Scheme.
 
Meanwhile, the council’s Member and Accreditation Committee has accredited 80 journalists who the council describes as bona fide and professional. 
 
The accreditation exercise, according to the council, will help minimize cases of impersonation of professional journalists by individuals who jump from one event to another masquerading as reporters. //END//
 
Reagan Malumo
Programme Officer: Media Freedom Monitoring and Research
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Regional Secretariat
21 Johann Albrecht St
Private Bag 13386
Windhoek
Namibia
Phone: +264 61 232 975
Fax: +264 61 248 016
Mobile: +264 81 311 2626

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