BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi Chapter and the Media Council of Malawi (MCM) recently met with the leadership of the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) to discuss the public broadcaster’s role in the upcoming elections.

The meeting aimed to ensure that MBC plays a constructive role in the election cycle by providing fair, equitable, and transparent coverage of electoral matters.

MISA Malawi and MCM expressed concerns over MBC’s coverage of political content, citing the need for balance and fairness.

They urged MBC to ensure a level playing field in its news and programming, striving to attain public trust and confidence in its commitment to impartiality.

The two media bodies strongly recommended that MBC reconsider featuring its Director General in commentary and opinion-based programming, citing concerns over bias and impartiality.

In response, MBC leadership expressed its commitment to fair coverage of the elections.

The leadership announced plans to launch new programming that provides opportunities for all political parties to articulate their agendas and recently recruited district reporters to ensure adequate coverage of the elections.

However, MBC decried recent politically motivated attacks on its employees and urged media bodies to step up efforts to defend MBC journalists.

MISA Malawi and MCM will continue to engage with media houses across the country to ensure they uphold professionalism throughout the electoral period.

The two media bodies also expressed concern that some news sources tend to sideline MBC when seeking diverse perspectives.