Humanities and Social Sciences

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    Print media coverage of agricultural information in Zambia: a comparative study of Times of Zambia and Zambia daily mail newspapers.
    (The University of Zambia, 2023) Kabuya, Dorcas
    The primary objective of this research study is to compare the coverage of agricultural information by print media in Zambia. Specifically, the study was aimed to analysing the importance accorded to agricultural information in terms of length, placement and prominence. To achieve this objective, the study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative methods. In this study, two local daily newspapers (Times of Zambia and Zambia Daily Mail) were analysed using content analysis to ascertain their coverage of agricultural information. The researcher analysed a total of 358 newspaper editions for the two named publications on the coverage of agricultural information for a total period of six months namely December of the year 2018, February, June, and December of the year 2019, and February and June of the year 2020 for the two agricultural seasons namely 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 season. It should be noted that dates sampled for each month for both publications were the same so as to enable effective comparative content analysis. In addition to content analysis, a semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from journalists. Data collected was analysed using Microsoft excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings show that a total of 374 agricultural news stories were published during the period of coverage selected. Research findings revealed that the frequency of reportage of agricultural information was highest (55.6 percent) in the Zambia Daily Mail. The study concluded that the selected two local daily newspapers did not give significant prominence to agricultural information. This was evidenced by the fact that out of the 17, 597 news stories that were published by the two selected newspapers over a given period, only 374 agricultural stories were published representing 2.1 percent. The study also provided insights on the challenges faced by print media outlets in disseminating agricultural information to farmers and the wider public in Zambia. Based on the findings of the research, it was recommended that more inspirational stories of farmers in agriculture were needed to create more awareness of agriculture and to motivate the youth to take up agriculture as an occupation. Secondly, capacity building workshops should be organised for journalists with a passion for reporting of agriculture information. Least but not last, the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, working with other agricultural stakeholders need to be more active, interactive and give out information the media is looking for in a timely manner.
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    An assessment of media coverage of child online protection (COP) in Zambia: a case of Zambia daily mail and daily nation.
    (The University of Zambia, 2023) Chaaba, Hanford Advent
    This study is aimed at assessing the extent and quality of media coverage of Child Online Protection (COP) by the media in Zambia; a case of Zambia Daily Mail and Daily Nation newspaper. The study was aimed at establishing the risks children encounter when they are online and also the quantity (frequency) of COP coverage in the Zambia Daily Mail and Daily Nation newspapers. Additionally, the study sought to examine the policies of the Zambia Daily Mail and Daily Nation newspapers on the coverage of COP issues, and to analyse the challenges that journalists from Zambia Daily Mail and Daily Nation encounter when covering COP. The findings have revealed that COP related issues receive poor or low coverage in Zambian Newspapers. Furthermore, the findings have indicated that topics relating to Child Online Protection are not given the prominence they deserve by the print media. This study used both quantitative and qualitative research designs, with the quantitative content analysis of the two newspapers for the 2021 months of January, February, March and April being the major part used to collect data. This saw a total number of 242 newspaper editions analysed in the four (4) months period of the study. Further, questionnaires, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and desktop research were used to collect data from selected newspapers (editors and reporters), parents, ZICTA official and pupils. Research instruments used were structured questionnaires, content analysis coding sheets, semi-structured interview schedule and FGD guide. Two theories, Agenda Setting as well as Media Information Dependency Theory, were utilised to contextualise the study. The Agenda Setting Theory was key in informing the study on how the media can set the agenda by telling the public what to talk and think about or discuss, which in this case was COP. Equally, the Media Information Dependency Theory the theory is relevant in helping to understand how heavily dependent on various media platforms the public, including children, had become. This study shows that COP coverage by Zambian newspapers is very low and not given the importance or prominence it deserves. This can be seen from both the quantitative and qualitative analyses of the newspaper content which indicated that COP issues are given very little priority especially that only 31 stories out of 10,680 stories were published between January and April 2021 in the two daily newspapers. This represents 0.6 percent of the total number of stories published during this period under study. Other than the low coverage established, it was also clear that most of the COP articles did not have children’s voices. This meant that children’s views and opinions were not heard on issues that affected them. Further, the children interviewed in the FGDs stated that there was no deliberate drive to dedicate space to children’s issues generally including COP, and that if a story on COP or any other issue that borders on children welfare is to be published, it will be given very small space in newspapers. This tends to make it difficult for children to have a clear interpretation and comprehension of the published COP related article. There is need for newspapers to improve and increase the coverage of COP and give it the prominence or importance it deserves, involve children when developing stories that they intend to provide them with, develop policies and strategies that will help guide their coverage of COP related issues.
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    Exploring and investigating corruption in the UPND government in Lusaka district.
    (The University of Zambia, 2024) Locha, Prudence
    This study aimed to exploring corruption in the UPND New Dawn Government in Lusaka District, Zambia. The study used a sample of 100 respondents who were selected using purposive sampling technique. The research design combined both qualitative and quantitative methods, involving content analysis for qualitative data and simple statistical quantification to present quantitative data. Nevertheless, the bulk part of this research method was anchored on qualitative methods. Quantitative technique was used to justify the extent of UPND’S corruption since other methods have proven inconsistent towards fighting political corruption. The study's findings uncovered an increase in the presence of corruption by the UPND New Dawn Government, despite being a government that had promised to fight corruption in a transparency and accountable manner. This study explored, investigated and identified various factors that facilitate corruption such as: political patronage, poverty, inequality, weak institutions, ineffective anti-corruption measures, and a culture of impunity among public officials. Key informants also emphasized the lack of transparency and weak oversight institutions as factors contributing to corruption. These findings resonated with Treisman's (2000) research, which identified the role of social and economic heterogeneity, specifically ethnic fractionalization, facilitating the increase in corruption. The study highlighted the complex dynamics at play in the context of political patronage, poverty, and the ineffectiveness of anti-corruption measures. While public perception indicated a significant level of corruption in the UPND government, key informants suggested that stringent anti-corruption measures had resulted in lower levels of corruption. These measures included a clear legal framework to combat corruption, whistleblower protection, enhanced oversight, and independent anti-corruption agencies. Challenges in the fight against corruption included a lack of funding and resources, political interference, whistleblower vulnerability, and limited education and awareness. These challenges were in line with the findings of Maiga (2023), highlighting the negative impact of corruption on human capital development. The socio-economic and cultural effects of corruption were also examined. Economic drain, poverty, income inequality, and inefficient resource allocation were identified as socio-economic consequences. Culturally, corruption led to the normalization of unethical behavior, erosion of trust, and an impact on social cohesion. These findings underline the far-reaching effects of corruption on society and underscore the importance of addressing this issue comprehensively. Macre’s Game theory was applied for determining different strategies in perpetuating corruption by the UPND government in Lusaka. It was used for offering valuable tools for solving strategy problem of how corruption can be reduced. The game theory was used to determine the level of accomplices for corruption crime, were there is not enough evidence for a felony conviction. The argument was that perpetrators of political corruption take the actions simply as a game and not a felony, hence its increase by the actors in the UPND government. Methodologically, the study used a mixed research technique, even though the larger part of it was explorative approach thus involving interviews, focused group discussions, storytelling and observations. In conclusion, the study revealed that while there are measures in place to combat corruption in the UPND New Dawn Government, challenges persist. Addressing these challenges and promoting a culture of transparency and accountability is essential. Corruption not only undermines economic development but also erodes cultural values and social cohesion. It is recommended that efforts to combat corruption include strengthening oversight institutions, promoting ethical leadership, and simplifying legal processes. Public awareness campaigns and measures to reduce poverty and inequality should be prioritized.
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    Assessment of the psychosocial impacts of COVID-19 among healthcare practitioners at two major hospitals in Lusaka district.
    (The University of Zambia, 2023) Chisanga, Kunda
    The present study assessed the psychosocial impacts of COVID-19 among healthcare practitioners in selected hospitals in Lusaka District. A survey research design was adopted in this study where 207 respondents were sampled from both UTH and Levy Mwanawasa Hospitals using simple random sampling. Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Participants Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were used for data collection. Being a descriptive statistics analysis, organized data was analyzed by means of frequency distributions and percentages to describe the characteristics of the healthcare practitioners and presented in tables, pie and bar charts. The analysis of data was done using SPSS version 26. Further, the data was analyzed using descriptive statistics like mean and standard deviation. Furthermore, bivariate and multivariate analysis were performed to assess precautionary measures which improved the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 among healthcare practitioners. The results revealed that the majority of the participants reported fearing the disease and its consequences, especially death due to COVID-19. Further, the study showed that 60.9% of the participants reported to be depressed, 70.1% were stressed and 76.8% experienced anxiety. The level of severity of depression categorized as none, mild, moderate, severe and extreme severe stood at 15.5%, 5.3%, 12.6%, 33.3% and 33.3%, respectively. With respect to the severity level of stress, the majority were severely stressed followed by those who were moderately stressed (None 21.2%, mild 9.2%, moderate 23.2%, severe 40.6%, and extreme severe 5.8%). In addition, the results of the study revealed that most of the respondents severely developed symptoms of anxiety followed by those with moderate symptoms of anxiety. The findings of the study also showed that the respondents agreed that positive attitudes from colleagues, hand washing and wearing of face mask, observing social distancing protocols, avoiding social gatherings, exercising regularly, were commonly reported as ways of coping with the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, precautionary measures such as handwashing, exercise regularly, leisure activities in free time and seek help from a psychologist were significantly associated with improved psychosocial impact of COVID-19 among healthcare practitioners in a multiple logistic regression model. Thus, the study recommended the need for the Government through the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to put in place measures to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare practitioners. In conclusion, many health workers experienced stress, anxiety and depression during the COVID-19. This calls for mitigation measures because continued anxiety and depression can affect their work of taking care of the patients.
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    Prevention of teenage pregnancies in the face of COVID-19 in Zambia : a study of Chama rural district.
    (The University of Zambia, 2021) KalumbaL, Lloyd
    This study entitled: “Preventing Teenage Pregnancies in the Face of COVID-19 in Zambia” was conducted in the rural district of Chama in Eastern province. It aimed at exploring the strategies put in place by the Zambian government to prevent teenage pregnancies in the face of COVID–19. To achieve the objectives of this study, a non-experimental research design and phenomenology methods were used in order to have a complete and comprehensive examination of the situation of teenage pregnancies in the face of COVID -19 wave of attack in Zambia. The approach for obtain ing data adopted was the qualitative. The results generated were non-quantitative and so, it was not subjected to rigorous quantitative analysis. The population of the study included management and staffs from the DEBS Office, management and staff/school teachers from selected schools, management and staff from the MCDSS under the departments of Community Development as well as Social Welfare in Chama district, VSU, WVI, the United Church of Zambia, and the local traditional leadership within the two selected chiefdoms. Teenage girls and boys aged between thirteen and nineteen (13-19) and drawn from the respective secondary schools within the two chiefdoms of Kambombo and Chikwa were also included as respondents. The study results confirmed that COVID-19 was driving many families into poverty, increasing risks that force children into child labour, teenage pregnancies and child marriages. It further revealed that lack of willingness by the Ministry of Health to acknowledge adolescents’ sexual health needs largely contributes to teenage pregnancies’ escalation. Contraceptives materials are not easily accessible to adolescents in many places of Chama District. In some few cases where adoles cents obtained contraceptives, the teenagers lacked the agency or the resources to pay for them. Yet again, the results revealed that during the lockdown, most teenagers in Chama lacked knowledge on where to obtain contraceptives and how to correctly use them. Further, teenagers faced stigma when trying to obtain contraceptives and were often at higher risk of discontinuing use due to perceived side effects, and due to changing life circumstances and reproductive intentions. Restrictive laws and policies regarding the provision of contraceptives based on age or marital status also posed an important barrier to the provision and uptake of contraceptives among teenagers in Chama District during the COVID-19 lockdown, all contributing to teenage pregnan cies escalation. The main strategies by government to prevent teenage pregnancies in the face of COVID –19 included the prevention of child labour and early marriages through the peer education for teenag ers in schools; provision of psychosocial counselling and support to teenagers; promotion of contraceptive materials and family planning services; prevention of coerced sexual relationships and promotion of child’s rights through activities conducted by peer educators on adolescents in schools. It was also established that the strategies put in place were not effective due to a number of factors including the hurdles faced in addressing the needs. On the other hand, the study has generally indicated that measures undertaken to tackle teenage pregnancies in the face of COVID – 19 were not effective due to school closures and travel re strictions. Further, measures undertaken were not strictly tailored to address the specific teenage girls’ needs which arose during the lockdown and COVID –19 wave. This study recommends that in order to address the above highlighted impediments to preventing teenage pregnancies in the face of COVID – 19, the government of the Republic of Zambia puts in place practical measures through policy, legal frameworks, programmes and projects to enhance the livelihood potential of the incapacitated rural households of Chama District to fight the scourge of teenage pregnancies.