Watching the Watchdogs

Since the re-institution of multiparty democracy in Zambia in 1991, media has gradually become liberalised. This has enhanced debate on current affairs and especially politics. However, during recent years media became increasingly perceived to be polarised with media houses blatantly taking sides. Some have abandoned all pretext of fairness to support their political allies. This made it difficult for the general public to make objectively informed decisions during elections. "Watching the watchdogs" is a reality check that gives the reader an evaluation of the media messages disseminated to an expectant audience during elections time in Zambia. The experiences and lessons transcend Zambian borders. This work raises pertinent ethical questions; should society trust media? Is media able to reflect the balanced view of reality? As watchdogs of society, who watches over the media and calls them to account? This work attempts to answer these and other questions. This work analyses media content and provides the aggregate picture of what becomes the news. It is a practical and informative tool for the Zambian journalist and beyond. It is also rich for media researchers and analysts.