Speaking on the role of the media in transitional states in Bulawayo on
13 March 2009 South Africa's Press Ombudsman Joe Thloloe, said the
media in Zimbabwe is still to come to grips with the new dispensation
and should get used to doing things differently. The worrying thing is
the media is not capturing the changing texture of the Zimbabwean
situation.
Thloloe who is also the chairperson of the Institute for the
Advancement of Journalists (IAJ) which was engaged by MISA-Zimbabwe to
co-facilitate the two-day workshop on Reportage in Transitional States,
drew comparisons of the Zimbabwean situation with South Africa's
challenges during its transition from apartheid to democracy. He said
Zimbabwe's own transition phase required its media to revisit the
ethical and professional demands of the journalism profession as
opposed to reporting in the pretty predictable fashion that preceded
the establishment of the inclusive government.
It is an exciting period. The transition is never ending and what is
critical is to learn how to cope with change. Its back to basics (of
the profession) as that is the only way to cope with change. This is
the time to question everything that we do. Transition does not only
happen at government levels but it should also happen in the newsroom,
said Thloloe
More than 25 senior Zimbabwean journalists drawn from both the public
and private media attended the workshop facilitated by MISA-Zimbabwe in
conjunction with the Johannesburg-based Institute for the Advancement
of Journalists (IAJ).
Organised on the backdrop of the formation of the inclusive government
following the signing of the Global Political Agreement by Zanu PF and
the two MDC formations on 15 September 2009, the workshop focused,
among other critical issues, on media ethics and how the media can
identify and pin the contextual transitional issues and the key
players, target audience and key stakeholders.
IAJ's head of print media department and its Africa programme
co-director Shehnaaz Bulbulia, took the participants through the
motions of pinning the contextual transitional issues, sourcing and
mapping story ideas as well as understanding the socio-economic ,
cultural and religious demographics of given communities and societies.
MISA-Zimbabwe Chairperson Loughty Dube said the workshop could not have
come at a more opportune moment for Zimbabwean journalists following
the signing of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) and subsequent
formation of the inclusive government. Dube said this called for self-
introspection on the part of the media and the challenges and
responsibilities it faces in the transition period.
He said MISA Zimbabwe had over the last two years consistently
committed itself to a number of key principles concerning media reform
in Zimbabwe. Given that there is a semblance of transition that is
taking place in Zimbabwe and with the establishment of an inclusive
government, the opportunities for media reform may be within reach, it
is necessary to reiterate some of these principles.
MISA Zimbabwe, he said, remains committed to self-regulation of the
media as opposed to statutory regulation imposed in terms of the Access
to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and would also
continue to press for a constitutional provision that explicitly
guarantees media freedom.
Dube said MISA-Zimbabwe would therefore engage the government,
parliament and other media stakeholders as well as regional and
international bodies in pursuit of its objectives and principles.
Turning to the workshop, he said he hoped that it would assist in
improving reportage underpinned by:
Objective conflict analysis
Searches for new voices and ideas
Ethical journalism that is sensitive to hate speech, xenophobia, gender and discrimination
Engaging the community in the search for peace, justice and national reconciliation
Maintaining a watchdog role over the three arms of the state to foster
accountability, transparency, good governance and respect for human
dignity
It therefore behoves us as a profession to remain seized with our
great responsibilities of ensuring that as the politicians hug and
embrace in the context of the inclusive government, the masses do not
continue to suffer. I implore fellow journalists and colleagues of
the great responsibility of the profession in fulfilling and securing
the democratic aspirations of Zimbabweans for generations to come, he
said.
Summary of Media Alerts: Month of February 2009
|
Victim/concerned |
Violation/event/issue |
Date |
Status |
|
Jestina Mukoko, director |
High Court judge Justice |
2 February
|
Nkomo argued that any
Judge Chitakunye set ruling |
|
Professor Welshman Ncube, |
Ncube urged Zimbabwe's |
6 February |
He was speaking at a |
|
Zimbabwe Broadcasting
|
The journalists and senior
|
9 February
|
They are also accused of
Jongwe Printers, a company |
|
Shadreck Manyere,freelance |
The magistrates' court |
9 February
|
The magistrate directed the |
|
Morgan Tsvangirai, Prime |
Prime Minister-designate |
10 February
|
Tsvangirai said the Joint |
|
Jestina |
Harare magistrate Gloria |
11 February
|
Magistrate Takundwa stated |
|
Jestina |
Mukoko was released into |
12 February
|
Another ruling before the |
|
Jestina |
Magistrate Takundwa ruled
The magistrate ruled that |
13 February
|
The magistrate said both
|
|
Committee to Protect |
The Committee |
16 February
|
The Daily |
|
Shadreck |
Magistrate Takundwa |
16 February
|
The state told the court
Magistrate Takundwa,
Magistrate Takundwa |
|
Shadreck |
Harare High Court judge |
18 February |
The judge deferred ruling |
|
Shadreck |
Manyere is
|
19 February
|
Justice Omerjee dismissed a
However, the other four
|
|
Shadreck |
Manyere is
|
20 February
|
In her ruling, Magistrate |
|
Jameson Timba, The Deputy |
The newly appointed Media,
|
20 February
|
Minister Timba emphasised |
|
Ministries of Media, |
Ministries of Media, |
24 February
|
This came after phone |
|
Jestina |
Magistrate Gloria Takundwa |
27 February
|
Mukoko remains detained at
|