This Friday, the President of the Republic, Daniel Chapo, received in audience the Supreme Council of the Comunicação Social (CSCS), led by its president, Rogério Sitoe, in a meeting aimed at debating the current state of the media in the country.

Speaking to the press at the end of the hearing, Rogério Sitoe explained that the main aim of the meeting was to present the Head of State with the CSCS's vision of the media situation in Mozambique.

"We had a very productive meeting with the President of the Republic, in the capacity of the High Council for the Media. I was represented by the councillors who make up the Council, and we basically had two or three objectives," said Sitoe.

Sitoe said that the delegation presented the President of the Republic with the CSCS's concerns about the ethical and deontological situation of the Mozambican media, as well as cases of violations of journalists' rights in the exercise of their profession. He said that the media and broadcasting laws were discussed, as well as the need to regulate the sector.

The CSCS was satisfied with President Chapo's position on ethics and the protection of journalists. "We were very surprised, because we have the feeling that His Excellency the President of the Republic is clear about the need for ethical issues and the protection of journalists in the exercise of their profession," he said.

The CSCS president also assessed the current state of the Mozambican media as a reflection of the crisis the country is going through.

"Overall, the state of the media in our country reflects the state of the crisis the country is going through, a bipolarized media, a media with very serious ethical and deontological problems and a media that also needs to be protected in the exercise of its functions," he said.

Another point discussed was the need to speed up the process of approving the media and broadcasting laws, which are currently being debated in Parliament. Sitoe pointed out that the Council was pleased to see that the President of the Republic understood the importance of moving forward on these issues, advocating a broader discussion on regulation and laws in the sector.

The role of the Media Council is to ensure the exercise of the right to information and freedom of the press, to guarantee the independence and impartiality of public sector media and the autonomy of the sector's professions.

The body also ensures rigor and objectivity in the exercise of professional activity in the press, acts in defense of the public interest and ensures respect for common social ethics.

With this hearing, CSCS hopes that its concerns will be considered by the government in order to promote an ethical and responsible media environment that guarantees the protection of journalists in Mozambique.