BLANTYRE--A new bi-weekly, 'The Standard' has hit Malawi streets with middle of the road stories.

The newspaper, with its slogan "The truth is always fair", is edited by Bakali Maulidi, former editor of the defunct Guardian newspaper owned by the Mutharika family.

It wasn’t clear who the financier of the paper is or who actually owns it.

The paper, selling at K220, will be coming out Mondays and Thursdays.

In its editorial titled 'Welcome to The Standard', the paper said it had not only come to stay, but also to publish stories in a fair, objective and ethical manner."

"Our approach to news coverage will largely dwell on issues that are pertinent to national interest, hence leaving little or no space for sensationalised stories which are devoid of newsworthy import," the paper added.

Since Malawi society started opening in 1990s, there have always been attempts by individuals and groups to publish newspapers. As Malawi was transitioning from one party dictatorship to multi-party democracy, between 1992 to 1994, the country’s newsstands boasted at least 30 titles.

During the one party era, the country had only one daily and one weekly. Today, the county has two dailies and a number of weekly and bi-weeklies that have survived tough market conditions.

Whether The Standard is here to stay remains to be seen.
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©2012 The Maravi Post. Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgment.