ACCA Challenges Media Houses

MAJOR issues in the fields of business and finance are skimmed over because the media is not highlighting them to the public, visiting Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) deputy president, Brendan Murtagh has said.

And two Times of Zambia business reporters, Gilbert Kaimana and Brian Hatyoka have scooped top awards for print media in the ACCA/Business and Financial Writers’ Forum media awards for 2008/09.

Speaking during the ACCA/Business and Financial Writers’ Forum media awards for 2008/09 ceremony held at Intercontinental Hotel on Tuesday evening, Mr Murtagh said business and financial issues must be highlighted for the good of the economy.

He said the situation on the ground was that business and financial matters were overshadowed by political and social factors, despite the fact that they were key to economic transformation and the solution of the social issues.

“A keen interest in the world of business and finance needs to be nurtured in order to develop good journalistic skills otherwise the big issues will be skimmed over,” he said.

Mr Murtagh said there was need to cultivate interest and raise the bar in business and financial reporting in order to help influence important decisions in the economy by captains of industry and policy makers alike.

Promoting an interest in business issues amongst readers, viewers and web surfers would only happen if news and analysis in the media was accurate and credible, and presented imaginatively and compellingly.

He said business journalists needed to dedicate themselves to exhaustive research and fact-checking, and that while they could rely on information on the internet but there was a danger in solely depending on that source.

And officiating at the function, Auditor General, Anna Chifungula said her office and more meaningful operations and citizenry should be more interested in business and financial reporting because it covers important issues that shape the economy of the country.

Ms Chifungula urged media institutions to dedicate enough resources to business sections of their editorial departments, in order to enhance quality business and financial reporting and promote economic development.

And Mr Kaimana scooped the overall Best Print Media Journalist of the Year, whose prizes include a full ACCA scholarship for a Diploma in Economics at the University of Zambia and K2.5 million cash sponsored by the Bank of Zambia (BoZ).

The Post business reporter, Chiwoyu Sinyangwe came second and got K1.5 million and a shield.

The Best Individual Print Media Award went to Mr Hatyoka, while the electronic category was won by Effie Mphande of the Zambia National Broadcasitng Corporation (ZNBC) and both walked away with K1 million each.