CSAT urge journalists to embrace accountability journalism
Center for Social Accountability and Transparency (CSAT) has appealed to the country journalists to embrace Accountability Journalism-AJ (Solutions Journalism) which is key to improving service delivery and poor people’s lives (particularly in rural areas).
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Thursday CSAT executive director Willy Kambwandira said the media in Malawi plays a great role in promoting good governance to ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.
Kambwandira observed that corruption, fraud and substandard projects affect service delivery which has a devastating impact on lives of the people, particularly poor people in rural areas.
“Accountability Journalism is the way to go if we are to help to improve the lives of poor people in the country. I am saying this because corruption is causing poor service delivery which is affecting the quality of poor people’s lives and the country’s development as a whole.
For example, there are substandard projects like bridges, schools, hospitals, roads and water infrastructure in the country which are impacting negatively on the lives of the people. Corruption on national programs such as the Affordable Input Program (AIP) also affects people’s access to the farm inputs,” said Kambwandira.
Meanwhile, Malawi is grappling with the effects of corruption which has been heightened by government’s silencing of corruption combatants such as the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general Martha Chizuma.
Chizuma is on record to have said that corruption in Malawi enriches few people and affects the majority poor.
However, Kambwandira urged the media, including freelance writers and social media influencers to deepen accountability reporting in order to serve the marginalized populations.
“Poor people have no voices out there because some public officials and service providers take advantage of their illiteracy and poverty levels to dupe them. Often times, they are given substandard services and projects because of corruption on the part of some public officials and service providers who have the tendency of enriching themselves dubiously.
Therefore, I would like to urge the country’s media houses, freelance writers and media influencers to report more on accountability issues in order to support marginalized populations in the country,” said Kambwandira.
Commenting on the development journalist and features writer Watipaso Mzungu described Accountability journalism and reliable way of protecting poor people from all sorts of human rights violations caused by corruption and poor service delivery.
“Without accountability, poor people will remain on fire and being abused in this country. Solutions journalism is the only way we can ensure that their rights are protected,” said Mzungu.
Meanwhile, CSAT has intensified its national advocacy on governance and is also amplifying local citizens’ voices to help them participate in development process and hold duty bearers accountable.