MALAWI: World Communications Sunday Reveals Gaps in Catholic Media Houses
Team of Experts that met at Luntha Television Station - Bishop Nervi Campus in Lilongwe
Sam Kalimba
The Bishop Chairman for Social Research and Communications at the Episcopal Conference of Malawi has called upon all the faithful in the country and people of good will to speak with a heart that is filled with love and charity so as to build a peaceful nation. According to Bishop Stima, such as heart is catalyst for national development and mutual trust.
Right Rev. Montfort Stima said this in his address made via a social media brochure entitled ‘Speaking with the Heart, the Truth in Love’ quoted from Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. He said that speaking with the heart, makes people look at one another with compassion, welcoming their mutual frailties with respect rather than judging by hearsay and sowing discord and division.
Commemorating the 57th World Day of Communications in Malawi on 21 May, 2023, Catholic Media Houses in Malawi took the occasion as an opportunity to do a self-assessment while reflecting on the universal theme of speaking with the heart.
On his part, Luntha Television Director Rev. Fr. David Niwagaba engaged with media experts from the Association of Catholic Journalists in Malawi in a discussion that resulted in finding gaps the television station has noted. The focused group session revealed that most Catholic Media Houses in Malawi need support from media experts to ensure that they improve to high standards.
“We would like to engage a professional gear from now onwards. You are the people that are key in helping your television station to get there. As we speak with the heart, we need also to be as professional as possible. Some of you are experts in digital platform management and in audio-visual skills, others are editors in various media houses while some are top notch producers and presenters. We need you to come in and play different roles. Our doors are open. We now ask you be as open as possible to evaluate our work,” Fr. Niwagaba guided the discussion.
On the way forward, the group of media experts agreed with the Director of Luntha Television Station that there is need to conduct trainings in all Catholic Media houses to build the capacity of the members of staff and volunteers because it came out as a common need.
The discussion took place in the presence of the National Social Research and Communications Coordinator Rev. Fr. Francis Damaseke who was the main celebrant during Mass.
Another commemoration took place in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe led by the Archdiocesan Social Research and Communications Coordinator Rev. Fr. Louis Chikanya who took Radio Alinafe staff and volunteers to an out-church church 240 kilometres away from the city of Lilongwe where the Catholic faithful demanded that the radio station’s signal reach them.
On this note, the leader of the church community said that distance from Alinafe Radio Station should not bar them from enjoying the services it offers to the Archdiocese of Lilongwe.
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