Though the recent media conference was blighted by the justified
absence of some key players in the media industry, we note with
approval and satisfaction the readiness of the ministry of Media,
Information and Publicity to play an active part in the changing times
by partaking in a constructive and profitable process which should lead
to a multiplicity of media players so that we give Zimbabweans the wide
choices they deserve, said Chamisa.
He said emphasis should be directed at shifting the Zimbabwe
Broadcasting Corporation from being state broadcaster to being a public
media, saying this would help the editorial policy to be public
oriented and to reflect the will of the people as opposed to the will
of politicians who may come and go.
As the Minister of Information (Western Shamu) rightly noted, the
polarization of the past must spur the media, especially the public
media, to begin to play their oversight role and not to be appendages
of the First Estate. The media must checkmate other sectors including
politics and must not themselves be engrossed in retrogressive habits
such as unbridled propaganda and hate speech, he said.
We believe that media players must take advantage of the changing
environment to reclaim their rightful place and to exploit the new and
exciting opportunities that come with a changing society; a society
rebuilding itself after decades of monopoly and exclusivity. A society
that wants to build a pluralistic and diverse media environment so that
Zimbabweans can make informed decisions.
The current situation, where the true story of Zimbabwe was told by
foreign stations such as the South African Broadcasting Corporation
(SABC) and e-TV, was a negation of the very sovereignty that some
Zimbabweans had turned into a slogan in the past five years, said
Chamisa.
The fact that foreign broadcasting stations such as the SABC and e-TV
had more viewership than the ZBC was an indictment of the local media
industry. It is a challenge which the inclusive government, through
the ministry of Media, Information and Publicity, must confront and
remedy as a matter of urgency, he said.
BY FARAI SHOKO
HARARE
Post published in: News