The Centre for Investigative Journalism Malawi (CIJM), a local media think tank has emphasized the need for the country to have Access to Information law which will necessitate investigative reporting, the power to shame corrupt leaders.
CIJM with other scores of civil society organizations, academia institutions’ calling comes on the heels the Malawi governments dare dallying in bringing the bill to Parliament for enactment into the law.
While the country is waiting to have such a law, the centre with funding from OSISA has intensified intensive investigative reporting trainings for journalists drawn from various electronic and print media houses underway in the capital Lilongwe.
The Maravi Post caught up with Dan Msowoya, CIJM Board member on prospects of conducting such trainings in the absence of Access to Information Act, saying with skills and techniques in handling corrupt, fraud stories will help the country media to vigorously expose more perpetuators of public resources abuse.
“The centre is committed to promote innovative, original and professional investigative reporting. It has been noted that the kind of reporting in Malawi is weak owing to lacking in modern skills and techniques among journalists as well as lacking in resources of media houses themselves. Therefore, CIJM seeks to provide training and mentorship to journalists who are interested to venture into what may appear to some as uncharted career waters.
“Malawi is still not free in a real sense of economic freedom and benefits with privileges remain to a few individuals while the rest of the population goes without tangible social services including scarcity of medical care, food insecurity exacerbated by corruption and fraud scandals.
“We live in a country where we celebrate thieves and vilify good men and women such that our sense of value is inconsistent with the purpose and objective of electing people into public office. We aren’t even wondering why the richest individuals are those holding such public office as the nation still elect hyenas to take care of goats and when goats are finally consumed which is a tragedy of Malawi and the entire African continent.
“In this regard, the media as the fourth arm of government has a mandate to play the watch dog role of overseeing the other three branches of government to compel accountability and transparency through the publishing of information that is in the public interest including excesses by those in positions of authority.
“However, the problem rises on Malawi government dragging its feet in enacting the Access to Information law which will necessitate investigative journalism a recipe for democratic governance that still a dream for the country to achieve. Therefore, this training will invoke the media fraternity to move away from the comfort of the newsroom swivel chair going out to all country’s corners in bringing life to society while provoking a sense of reason, debate and speak out on emerging critical issues including abuse of public resources through corruption and fraud”, urges Msowoya.
The Centre for Investigative Journalism Malawi (CJIM) was established in 2013 to become part of the regional initiatives to promote strong investigative reporting in Southern Africa.
