Malawi News Agency
 


INTRODUCTION

The Malawi News Agency (MANA) is a news gathering and disseminating organ of government under the Ministry of Information. It is the government mouth piece or spokesman.

The News Agency has Reporters strategically stationed at its headquarters in Blantyre, regional offices in Lilongwe and Mzuzu and in all the country's districts.This arrangement  makes it the only media house that has a media network coverage of the entire country. 

The Malawi News Agency (MANA) is a news gathering and disseminating organ of government under the Ministry of Information. It is the government mouth piece or spokesman.

COVERAGE
  As a government media institution and spokesman, MANA was established in the early 1960's to propagate government policy, and now added to that, the News Agency, under the Ministry's broad mission statement, is there to promote awareness about government policy and various socio-economic issues through news articles and photographs to stimulate interest and participation among the people in national development.

The Agency collaborates and works hand in hand with other media houses especially with its subscribers who receive the Agency's copy . However, it is an editorial requirement that all news articles from the districts and regions be transmitted to the subscribers through the News Agency's headquarters in Blantyre.

The Malawi News Agency is expected to cover all activities without fear, favour or bias, truthfully, accurately, fairly, objectively and in a balanced manner. Such Reporters are sent to its various subscribers who have their own editorial policies.

The Managing Editor of  MANA co-ordinates the work of all the reporters and also between them and the photographic unit of the section to ensure that photographs accompany stories.
   
TRAINING
  COMPUTER OPERATIONS
As MANA is undergoing comprehensive  computerization  programme it is the wish of the managing editor of MANA  that all reporters, editors, telex operators, world news service typists and photographers undergo an intensive computer operation course.

At present communication with districts is through phones, fax and via the internet in case of Lilongwe and Mzuzu. Efforts are underway to have all the districts computerized and linked to MANA where all stories will be stored. MANA has e-mail connections with some of its major subscribers.

EDITING

It is also the wish of MANA management that all editors go on editorial courses. Editing should therefore be a component part of journalism unlike the current scenario when one is made an editor because of seniority in rank.

PHOTOGRAPHY

There is need for DIOs to have cameras and trained photographers at district level because of increasing  number of invents in the districts some of which have been sub-divided or have many constituencies. This deficiency is also felt at MANA Headquarters where darkroom officers are being used as photographers. At the moment MANA has no colour film processing equipment and the organisation goes to commercial firms to process colour pictures In light of this MANA needs to procure and install its own equipment for processing colour films.

SPECIALIZED REPORTING

MANA reporters are jacks of all trades. There is no specialization in covering  court, elections, democracy and good governance, economy, environment, sports, health and politics just to name a few fields requiring expert coverage.
   
OPPORTUNITIES/STRENGTHS
  The existence of reporters in all districts of the countr
  MANA's possession of its own photographic section
  Computerizsation, the programme still underway
  Subscription increase to about 12 media houses from both print and electronic.
  Government Publications such as Boma Lathu, This is Malawi and Weekly News as MANA's direct outlet
  A sure budgetary provision although funds have have tended to be erratic and less of late
  Political backing in Parliament where Minister of Information represents the interests of his Ministry.