Media Reform
While it is worth noting that considerable space has been opened in the print media with some
new publications such as the News Day now on the streets, it is also important to note that
television and radio remain closed and little is being done to open the airwaves to other
players to increase media plurality . People in the rural areas rely on the public broadcasters
especially the radios. Accessibility of the local papers to the majority of the population is
limited.
Local public media has not been balanced, reporting in a partisan manner. Independent radio
stations and papers continue to be a reliable source of news for the citizenry. MMPZ reports
that public media was dominated by ZANU PF voices especially during “Vapotsori” church
gatherings cum rallies promoting their party positions. ZESN notes that state owned media
adopted a minimalist attitude in reporting violence in the outreach process in Harare by
labelling them “mere skirmishes”.
ZESN acknowledges the work being done by civil society organisations such as ZLHR’s
newsletter, The Legal Monitor, ZCTU’s The Worker, MMPZ’s The News Monitor, Bulawayo
Agenda’s Weekly Agenda and others in providing civic education and news to the citizens.
These and other newsletters have also not been very accessible to the remote parts of the
country though most of them are written in English which reduces their accessibility to the
generality of the population.
ZESN notes with interest how the constitution making process outreach meetings in Harare
received the attention of the media especially the radio, TV and print. It is important to note
that COPAC has not provided information on progress of the outreach process they planned to
do and how many they have actually done from the target of 1957 wards they intended to have
meetings in.
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