Media Council of Malawi Welcomes Legal Media Handbook to Enhance Court Reporting
The launch of this legal media handbook marks a significant step toward improving court reporting and enhancing journalists' ability to cover court issues accurately.
Lilongwe, Malawi – The newly launched legal media handbook by the Gender and Justice Unit (GJU) has garnered praise from the Media Council of Malawi, writes Moses Nyirenda.
According to Moses Kaufa, the Executive Director of the Media Council of Malawi, this handbook will encourage journalists in the country to develop a stronger interest in writing news reports about court matters.
Speaking during the launch of the legal media handbook in Lilongwe on Wednesday, Kaufa expressed his belief that the handbook would help journalists understand the nuances of court reporting, thus increasing their interest in covering court-related stories.
"Sometimes we are challenged by people we meet at the court because we do not fully comprehend our obligations within the court. As a result, we may accept any requests or restrictions placed upon us without proper understanding," Kaufa explained.
He highlighted the value of the legal media handbook, stating that it will enable media practitioners to grasp the expectations and guidelines associated with court reporting.
It will clarify how they should conduct themselves within a court setting and how they can access information from court proceedings.
Moreover, it will assist them in understanding the boundaries regarding publishing information about court proceedings.
Despite the handbook's introduction, Kaufa stressed that further engagement with media practitioners was essential to ensuring full comprehension of these issues.
"There is a lot of information related to these guidelines that people need to know, so you cannot utilize the guidelines effectively before you are properly oriented on the subject. Therefore, additional engagement with media practitioners is necessary to enhance their understanding of court reporting guidelines and legal matters," Kaufa emphasized.
He called on various stakeholders, including Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), to support the efforts aimed at empowering media professionals with knowledge concerning legal issues.
Emma Kalea Chigwenembe, Deputy Director of the GJU, explained that the legal media handbook was created to address the knowledge gap in the media industry related to court reporting.
"The handbook's objective is to simplify the understanding of legal issues for individuals working in the media sector. We aim to provide media practitioners with the tools to cover court proceedings correctly, utilizing the laws of Malawi," Chigwenembe said.
The launch of this legal media handbook marks a significant step toward improving court reporting and enhancing journalists' ability to cover court issues accurately.