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INTRODUCTION |
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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. |
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COVERAGE |
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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. |
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TRAINING |
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COMPUTER OPERATIONS |
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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. |
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OPPORTUNITIES/STRENGTHS |
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The existence of
reporters in all districts of the countr |
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MANA's possession of
its own photographic section |
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Computerizsation, the
programme still underway |
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Subscription increase
to about 12 media houses from both print and electronic. |
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Government Publications
such as Boma Lathu, This is Malawi and Weekly News as MANA's direct outlet |
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A sure budgetary
provision although funds have have tended to be erratic and less of late |
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Political backing in
Parliament where Minister of Information represents the interests of his
Ministry. |
