Taxpayer-funded Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has suspended some of its journalists, including director of news and current affairs Rex Chikoko over coverage of President Peter Mutharika’s official engagement in Lilongwe on Friday. The President was receiving letters of credence from new Japanese Ambassador Naito Yasushi at Kamuzu Palace. MBC sources said the action followed a story aired on MBC TV on Friday which showed visuals of the diplomat’s arrival at Kamuzu Palace, inspection of a guard of honour and presentation of the letters of credence to the President.
The report also carried comments the ambassador made to the media highlighting commitment to deepen relations between the two countries. The sources alleged that the report was perceived to have focused more on the ambassador. MBC board chairperson Benson Tembo yesterday referred The Nation to the corporation’s public relations office.
However, MBC’s public relations and customer affairs manager Chisomo Mwamadi declined to comment, saying: “From us, the position is that we are not commenting on that issue.” Meanwhile, Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Malawi chapter chairperson Golden Matonga yesterday said the media rights watchdog was gathering information about the matter. “We have heard reports that journalists [at MBC] have been suspended but we are yet to get the details so we will only be able to comment once we have established the facts,” he said. In December, Minister of Information and Communications Technology Shadric Namalomba warned MBC against deliberate failure to uphold the institution’s mandate as a national broadcaster, stressing that political bias and unprofessional conduct will no longer be tolerated. His caution came amid long-standing concerns previously raised by various players, including Misa Malawi Chapter and Media Council of Malawi over the station’s persistent bias in its coverage of news as well as programmes.
