Expert Council

Joan Chirwa is a journalist with 20 years of experience and a lawyer. She worked as a reporter and later Managing Editor of Zambia’s biggest newspaper, The Post (liquidated) before moving on to become Chief Executive Officer and Editor in Chief of The Mast newspaper, the Post's successor, from November 2016 to November 2018.

In 2018, Joan, a press freedom advocate, founded the Zambia Free Press Initiative, a non-profit organisation focused on ensuring excellence in journalism, press freedom, good governance and respect for human rights.

Joan is also Southern Africa correspondent for the Committee to Protect journalists (CPJ). She is a member of WANIFRA’s World Editors Forum and Zambia Media Freedom Committee. She recently served on the advisory board of veteran journalists and editors constituted to provide expert advice during the formulation of the global Certified Journalist Safety Training Course developed by WANIFRA and Acos Alliance.
Joan is also a member of the Program Council of international civil society organisation Forum 2000 Foundation which supports the values of democracy and respect for human rights. She is also a member of the Advisory Committee of USAID’s Open Spaces project being implemented by InterNews.

She is currently awaiting admission to the Zambian bar as an advocate of the superior courts