Information and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana has called on media owners to improve the remuneration of journalists, stating that while media businesses may be thriving, their employees continue to earn what he described as “slave wages.”
Addressing attendees during this year’s World Press Freedom Day commemoration at the Livingstone Civic Centre, hosted by the Livingstone Press Club (LPC), Kawana said media owners should prioritize the welfare of their staff. “Media owners, you are my friends, and I know you’re doing well. But your journalists are earning slave wages, let’s give them better pay,” he urged.
Kawana also expressed disappointment over the ongoing divisions within the journalism fraternity, particularly in Lusaka, where two separate factions organized different events to mark the same occasion. He stressed the importance of unity in the media industry, noting that such fragmentation undermines the profession’s credibility and strength.