supporters of the MDC‐T, the 2012 results showed that the number of ZANU‐PF supporters using this
source now exceeded the number for the MDC‐T. It was possible that some of the internet‐using MDC‐T
supporters had switched party allegiance, besides ZANU‐PFers perhaps converting to it. The trend is
associated with the ascendance of the ZANU‐PF associated The Herald’s online news site into the prime
slot. The most commonly used sites in 2012 were:
The Herald Online –3%
NewZimbabwe. Com – 1%
The NewsDay online – 1%
Zimbabwe Situation.com – 1%
Daily News online – 1%
This compares with 2010’s top three in Newzimbabwe.com – 2%, Zimdaily.com – 2%,
Zimbabwesituation.com – 2% and Zimonline – 2%.
Cell and computer news usages: Only 17% of Zimbabweans in this survey reported that they never use a
cell phone, giving 83% of use (compared with the 67% in 2010, pointing to the rapid diffusion of cell
phones in Zimbabwe since late 2010). Besides phone calls, the most common usage is to text (64%),
access news sites (9%) and to check emails (8%).
With regard to computers, only 13% of Zimbabweans report that they have access to a computer. 10%
write documents on their computers, 8% use computers for email, 5% do public affairs searches and
4%use computers for social media.
Table 25:
Trust in the media most used – MDC‐T and ZANU‐PF supporters, 2012
Source Party Strongly trust
Trust
Neither
Distrust
Strongly
(%)
(%)
(%)
(%)
distrust (%)
Party Total Party Total Party Total Party Total Party Total
Radio MDC-T
18
22
30
26
14
13
12
7
5
3
ZANU-P
33
27
11
2
1
UD (S)
17
25
15
8
3
MDC-T
TV
12
14
28
22
11
10
7
4
4
2
ZANU-P
18
19
8
2
1
UD (S)
12
21
13
5
2
MDC-T
News‐
12
12
28
21
13
10
6
4
2
2
papers ZANU-P
17
17
6
2
1
UD (S)
10
20
13
5
2
MDC-T
Inter‐
6
3
8
5
3
3
2
1
1
1
ZANU-P
net
2
4
3
1
0
UD (S)
3
5
3
2
1
Notes: Q6, 2012, ‘About these news sources that you most commonly use for your news on politics and current
affairs, do you trust the news that you receive …?’ In order to keep the perspective on the proportions of the
population that do not use some of the categories of media, the percentage sin this tables were not rebased. The
penetration level of the four media in this table is 70% for radio, 53% for television, 50% for newspapers and 14%
for internet sources. UD (S)= Undeclared (my vote is my secret).
45
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