Paddy Roberts | August 24, 2015
MacPherson Chewe Mukuka is a radio broadcaster with the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation, or ZNBC. The 26-year-old Zambian is keenly interested in agriculture, science and environment-related topics.
Mr. Mukuka joined ZNBC in 2012 after graduating from Evelyn Hone College in Lusaka with a diploma in journalism. He started working as a reporter with ZNBC Radio 2, one of ZNBC’s three national stations. Mr. Mukuka focussed initially on youth programming, but has since branched out into reporting on agricultural issues.
He says: “I am a reporter, with the main role of going into the field to gather information on a particular story. Depending on the material collected, I either present the material in a package form or [as] just a straight interview.”
The state-owned ZNBC broadcasts throughout the country. Its three stations play less music than commercial stations, which gives more airtime for listeners’ opinions and ideas. Up to two million people across the country tune in regularly to Mr. Mukuka’s broadcasts from ZNBC’s studios in Lusaka.
He says: “I have always been a lover of agriculture. I report on agriculture and environmental stories. I won the Best Radio Broadcasting Journalist in Agriculture reporting [award] at the 87th Agriculture and Commercial Show in December, 2013. I am in touch with the Ministry of Agriculture, who always call upon me to cover any agriculture-related event, and I present the stories for our radio station.”
Many ZNBC programs include a phone-in component, and Mr. Mukuka says the audience is keen to give instant feedback. He adds: “This on its own is a motivation to listeners because they get to interact with the presenters live on air. If they write to us, we respond by either writing back or, with enough demand, rebroadcasting the story or program.”
Mr. Mukuka regularly interviews agricultural experts to air their views on news stories. He explains, “This means the farmers have expert information at their fingertips.”
Mr. Mukuka also likes to use Barza Wire stories in his programs. He says: “I make comparisons between what is happening here and [abroad]. This has … helped me have a variety of story angles in relation to agricultural practices, methods of farming, and so on. “
Mr. Mukuka also publishes his stories on his blog, which you can find at: http://macphersonmukuka.blogspot.com.