Joe Mlenga - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Joe Mlenga

Research paper thumbnail of Journalism and human rights standards in Africa: reportage of violence against persons with albinism in Malawian newspapers

African human rights yearbook, Mar 2, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Coverage of Human Rights Issues in Malawian Newsrooms: Challenges and Prospects

Journal of Human Rights Practice

This paper is a study of 14 media houses in Malawi and it looks at coverage of human rights issue... more This paper is a study of 14 media houses in Malawi and it looks at coverage of human rights issue from various dimensions. A questionnaire was administered to journalists of diverse levels at these media houses to gather data concerning the research. The targeted media houses are located in the main urban centres of Malawi and include radio, television and newspaper publishers. The findings indicate that training, lack of specialised units in newsrooms, inadequate reference materials and reluctance by officials to give out required information are some of the issues that are hampering coverage of human rights stories in the country. The paper also looks at suggestions made by journalists to help improve reportage of human rights in Malawi. It then makes recommendations based on evidence gathered through the questionnaires on how the media and other concerned stakeholders can work together for better human rights reporting in the country.

Research paper thumbnail of PRACTITIONER NOTES Practitioner Notes no.2

Research paper thumbnail of Bridging disaster risk and internal displacement in Malawi: reflections on Malawi's Disaster Risk Management Policy

GENIDA Policy briefs, 2021

This article is a short discussion of the Malawi Disaster Risk Management Policy, a document that... more This article is a short discussion of the Malawi Disaster Risk Management Policy, a document that is indirectly linked to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in that country. The paper focuses on how the Policy can be advantageous for internally displaced persons, despite the fact that it does not have terminology such as 'internal displacement' or 'internally displaced persons'. The paper ends by making three recommendations on policy and legislation regarding IDPs in Malawi.

Research paper thumbnail of Bridging disaster risk and internal displacement in Malawi: reflections on Malawi's Disaster Risk Management Policy

GENIDA Policy briefs, 2021

This article is a short discussion of the Malawi Disaster Risk Management Policy, a document that... more This article is a short discussion of the Malawi Disaster Risk Management Policy, a document that is indirectly linked to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in that country. The paper focuses on how the Policy can be advantageous for internally displaced persons, despite the fact that it does not have terminology such as 'internal displacement' or 'internally displaced persons'. The paper ends by making three recommendations on policy and legislation regarding IDPs in Malawi.

Research paper thumbnail of Journalism and human rights standards in Africa: reportage of violence against persons with albinism in Malawian newspapers

African Human Rights Yearbook (Vol 3), 2019

Malawi has experienced a boom in radio and television stations, newspapers, online media, and a d... more Malawi has experienced a boom in radio and television stations, newspapers, online media, and a democratic dispensation has been put in place, but reporting of human rights abuses in the country is unsatisfactory. One of the most pressing issues at the moment in the country is the killing, maiming, abduction and disappearance of persons with albinism. Persons with albinism face discrimination and stigma based on false beliefs. A content analysis of Malawian newspaper articles on the attacks on persons with albinism suggests that reporting is largely specific, reactive and superficial. The articles from the Times Media Group and Nation Publications Limited published between 2016 and 2018, seem not to aim at demystifying the issue of albinism as a mere disability, and the press portray persons with albinism as helpless victims of voodoo. There is hardly any framing of articles to show positive contributions or normalcy of persons with albinism. The Malawian newspapers should highlight their achievements and portray them as more than mere victims. Additionally, there is a role for investigative journalism to help in tracking buyers of body parts of persons with albinism. Better reporting of violations would ultimately help raise human rights standards in Malawi and Africa as a whole. TITRE ET RÉSUMÉ EN FRANCAIS: Journalisme et normes des droits de l'homme en Afrique: le reportage sur les violences à l'égard des albinos dans les journaux au Malawi RÉSUMÉ: Au Malawi, les stations de radio et de télévision, les journaux et les médias en ligne connaissent un essor considérable dans un environnement de libéralisation mais le reportage sur les violations des droits de l'homme dans le pays n'est pas satisfaisant. L'assassinat, la mutilation, l'enlèvement et la disparition de personnes atteintes d'albinisme sont l'un des problèmes les plus urgents dans le pays. Les personnes atteintes d'albinisme font face à la discrimination et à la stigmatisation fondées sur de fausses croyances. Une analyse du contenu d'articles de journaux au Malawi sur les attaques contre des personnes atteintes d'albinisme suggère que le reportage est en grande partie spécifique, réactif et superficiel. Les articles du Daily Times and the Nation publiés entre 2016 et 2018 ne semblent pas viser à démystifier le problème de l'albinisme en tant que simple handicap, et la presse dépeint les personnes atteintes d'albinisme comme des victimes impuissantes de la superstition. Il n'existe guère un effort dans la rédaction d'articles montrant des contributions positives ou la normalité des personnes atteintes d'albinisme. Les journaux au Malawi devraient mettre l'accès sur leurs réalisations et les décrire davantage comme de simples victimes. En outre, le journalisme d'investigation a un rôle à jouer dans le suivi des acheteurs de parties du corps de personnes atteintes d'albinisme. Un meilleur reportage des violations aiderait en fin de compte à relever les normes des droits de l'homme au Malawi et en Afrique en général.

Research paper thumbnail of Journalism and human rights standards in Africa: reportage of violence against persons with albinism in Malawian newspapers

Malawi has experienced a boom in radio and television stations, newspapers, online media, and a d... more Malawi has experienced a boom in radio and television stations, newspapers, online media, and a democratic dispensation has been put in place, but reporting of human rights abuses in the country is unsatisfactory. One of the most pressing issues at the moment in the country is the killing, maiming, abduction and disappearance of persons with albinism. Persons with albinism face discrimination and stigma based on false beliefs. A content analysis of Malawian newspaper articles on the attacks on persons with albinism suggests that reporting is largely specific, reactive and superficial. The articles from the Times Media Group and Nation Publications Limited published between 2016 and 2018, seem not to aim at demystifying the issue of albinism as a mere disability, and the press portray persons with albinism as helpless victims of voodoo. There is hardly any framing of articles to show positive contributions or normalcy of persons with albinism. The Malawian newspapers should highlight their achievements and portray them as more than mere victims. Additionally, there is a role for investigative journalism to help in tracking buyers of body parts of persons with albinism. Better reporting of violations would ultimately help raise human rights standards in Malawi and Africa as a whole.

Research paper thumbnail of How Sociology Enriches Human Rights-The Case Study of Malawi's First Openly Gay Couple

Beyond the Law: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Human Rights, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of The Role of the Malawi Media in the Malawi-Tanzania Border Dispute

Centre for Mediation in Africa-Practitioner Notes, Feb 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Journalism and human rights standards in Africa: reportage of violence against persons with albinism in Malawian newspapers

African human rights yearbook, Mar 2, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Coverage of Human Rights Issues in Malawian Newsrooms: Challenges and Prospects

Journal of Human Rights Practice

This paper is a study of 14 media houses in Malawi and it looks at coverage of human rights issue... more This paper is a study of 14 media houses in Malawi and it looks at coverage of human rights issue from various dimensions. A questionnaire was administered to journalists of diverse levels at these media houses to gather data concerning the research. The targeted media houses are located in the main urban centres of Malawi and include radio, television and newspaper publishers. The findings indicate that training, lack of specialised units in newsrooms, inadequate reference materials and reluctance by officials to give out required information are some of the issues that are hampering coverage of human rights stories in the country. The paper also looks at suggestions made by journalists to help improve reportage of human rights in Malawi. It then makes recommendations based on evidence gathered through the questionnaires on how the media and other concerned stakeholders can work together for better human rights reporting in the country.

Research paper thumbnail of PRACTITIONER NOTES Practitioner Notes no.2

Research paper thumbnail of Bridging disaster risk and internal displacement in Malawi: reflections on Malawi's Disaster Risk Management Policy

GENIDA Policy briefs, 2021

This article is a short discussion of the Malawi Disaster Risk Management Policy, a document that... more This article is a short discussion of the Malawi Disaster Risk Management Policy, a document that is indirectly linked to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in that country. The paper focuses on how the Policy can be advantageous for internally displaced persons, despite the fact that it does not have terminology such as 'internal displacement' or 'internally displaced persons'. The paper ends by making three recommendations on policy and legislation regarding IDPs in Malawi.

Research paper thumbnail of Bridging disaster risk and internal displacement in Malawi: reflections on Malawi's Disaster Risk Management Policy

GENIDA Policy briefs, 2021

This article is a short discussion of the Malawi Disaster Risk Management Policy, a document that... more This article is a short discussion of the Malawi Disaster Risk Management Policy, a document that is indirectly linked to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in that country. The paper focuses on how the Policy can be advantageous for internally displaced persons, despite the fact that it does not have terminology such as 'internal displacement' or 'internally displaced persons'. The paper ends by making three recommendations on policy and legislation regarding IDPs in Malawi.

Research paper thumbnail of Journalism and human rights standards in Africa: reportage of violence against persons with albinism in Malawian newspapers

African Human Rights Yearbook (Vol 3), 2019

Malawi has experienced a boom in radio and television stations, newspapers, online media, and a d... more Malawi has experienced a boom in radio and television stations, newspapers, online media, and a democratic dispensation has been put in place, but reporting of human rights abuses in the country is unsatisfactory. One of the most pressing issues at the moment in the country is the killing, maiming, abduction and disappearance of persons with albinism. Persons with albinism face discrimination and stigma based on false beliefs. A content analysis of Malawian newspaper articles on the attacks on persons with albinism suggests that reporting is largely specific, reactive and superficial. The articles from the Times Media Group and Nation Publications Limited published between 2016 and 2018, seem not to aim at demystifying the issue of albinism as a mere disability, and the press portray persons with albinism as helpless victims of voodoo. There is hardly any framing of articles to show positive contributions or normalcy of persons with albinism. The Malawian newspapers should highlight their achievements and portray them as more than mere victims. Additionally, there is a role for investigative journalism to help in tracking buyers of body parts of persons with albinism. Better reporting of violations would ultimately help raise human rights standards in Malawi and Africa as a whole. TITRE ET RÉSUMÉ EN FRANCAIS: Journalisme et normes des droits de l'homme en Afrique: le reportage sur les violences à l'égard des albinos dans les journaux au Malawi RÉSUMÉ: Au Malawi, les stations de radio et de télévision, les journaux et les médias en ligne connaissent un essor considérable dans un environnement de libéralisation mais le reportage sur les violations des droits de l'homme dans le pays n'est pas satisfaisant. L'assassinat, la mutilation, l'enlèvement et la disparition de personnes atteintes d'albinisme sont l'un des problèmes les plus urgents dans le pays. Les personnes atteintes d'albinisme font face à la discrimination et à la stigmatisation fondées sur de fausses croyances. Une analyse du contenu d'articles de journaux au Malawi sur les attaques contre des personnes atteintes d'albinisme suggère que le reportage est en grande partie spécifique, réactif et superficiel. Les articles du Daily Times and the Nation publiés entre 2016 et 2018 ne semblent pas viser à démystifier le problème de l'albinisme en tant que simple handicap, et la presse dépeint les personnes atteintes d'albinisme comme des victimes impuissantes de la superstition. Il n'existe guère un effort dans la rédaction d'articles montrant des contributions positives ou la normalité des personnes atteintes d'albinisme. Les journaux au Malawi devraient mettre l'accès sur leurs réalisations et les décrire davantage comme de simples victimes. En outre, le journalisme d'investigation a un rôle à jouer dans le suivi des acheteurs de parties du corps de personnes atteintes d'albinisme. Un meilleur reportage des violations aiderait en fin de compte à relever les normes des droits de l'homme au Malawi et en Afrique en général.

Research paper thumbnail of Journalism and human rights standards in Africa: reportage of violence against persons with albinism in Malawian newspapers

Malawi has experienced a boom in radio and television stations, newspapers, online media, and a d... more Malawi has experienced a boom in radio and television stations, newspapers, online media, and a democratic dispensation has been put in place, but reporting of human rights abuses in the country is unsatisfactory. One of the most pressing issues at the moment in the country is the killing, maiming, abduction and disappearance of persons with albinism. Persons with albinism face discrimination and stigma based on false beliefs. A content analysis of Malawian newspaper articles on the attacks on persons with albinism suggests that reporting is largely specific, reactive and superficial. The articles from the Times Media Group and Nation Publications Limited published between 2016 and 2018, seem not to aim at demystifying the issue of albinism as a mere disability, and the press portray persons with albinism as helpless victims of voodoo. There is hardly any framing of articles to show positive contributions or normalcy of persons with albinism. The Malawian newspapers should highlight their achievements and portray them as more than mere victims. Additionally, there is a role for investigative journalism to help in tracking buyers of body parts of persons with albinism. Better reporting of violations would ultimately help raise human rights standards in Malawi and Africa as a whole.

Research paper thumbnail of How Sociology Enriches Human Rights-The Case Study of Malawi's First Openly Gay Couple

Beyond the Law: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Human Rights, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of The Role of the Malawi Media in the Malawi-Tanzania Border Dispute

Centre for Mediation in Africa-Practitioner Notes, Feb 2013