Private publisher Alpha Media Holdings owns the Harare daily newspaper NewsDay, the Sunday newspaper The Standard and the business weekly The Zimbabwe Independent. The daily newspaper Daily News and the weekly Financial Gazette (both published by Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe, ANZ) complete the list of most prominent private publications. Internet in Zimbabwe has grown significantly since 2009 and is still on the rise. Latest statistics (2016) by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) show that the country’s total internet penetration stands at 50.1% of the population. Online media is increasingly popular among Zimbabweans, not only as a means to gather independent information but also to engage in discourse about current affairs. All Zimbabwean newspapers have an online edition and many more publish online. The government runs also its own online media: BH24. As a consequence of the polarized environment in the traditional media, social media is also widely used among Zimbabweans as a source of information and platform for public debate. The role of social media in the dissemination of election related information and campaign messages by political parties and candidates during the electoral campaign period was significant. Nevertheless, the level of fake news and abusive language circulating on these platforms was also high, especially in the lead-up to elections. B Legal Framework for Media The legal framework for the media in Zimbabwe, while providing for fundamental rights, needs further improvement. Laws such as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA) contain provisions which are not in line with fundamental rights included in the Constitution and the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) has been used to justify the arbitrary detention of journalists on occasion. Sections 61 and 62 of Zimbabwe’s Constitution of 2013 provide for freedom of expression, freedom of the media and access to information. While every person is entitled to freedom of the media, including protection of the confidentiality of a journalist’s sources of information, Section 61 (4) of the Constitution specifically states that all state-owned media must be free to determine independently the editorial content of their broadcasts or other communications, be impartial and afford fair opportunity for the presentation of divergent views and dissenting opinions. Despite these fundamental freedoms and rights, the current media environment and media laws do not guarantee the constitutional provisions aforementioned. According to the AIPPA (2002), which regulates all media in the country, journalists and media companies operating in Zimbabwe must be licensed and have to renew their licenses every year. The AIPPA imposes also strict content restrictions on the media. Foreign ownership of media outlets is forbidden by AIPPA (although non-citizens may own minority shares in companies that own media outlets) and media outlets may only hire Zimbabwean citizens or permanent residents. Other controversial laws directly or indirectly regulating the media sector and being in conflict with provisions in the Constitution are the BSA (2001), the Censorship and Entertainments Control 26