Just two weeks down the line and as the euphoria is waning, it would appear that the reading public in Zimbabwe is still very much starved of most of the truth about what is going on in the country as a whole. We can make a number of interesting observations regarding the media situation in this country since the licensing of new papers by the ZMC.
First, there is still a huge preference for the independent weeklies as opposed to both the Herald and the recently launched NewsDay. The reason for this is probably that the weeklies contain better researched stories, features and columns that Zimbabweans are now used to. Some of the stories in NewsDay are grossly half-baked and thin on details.
Refreshing read
It is, however, far more refreshing to read these stories than the rubbish in state mouth-pieces such as the Herald and the Chronicle. At least one has the confidence when reading NewsDay, that the stories are true and factual as opposed to the lies, lies and more lies and sick propaganda in the Herald and Sunday Mail.
The second observation we need to make is that there is considerable self-censorship on the part of the editors and journalists reporting for the newly certificated newspapers. This is probably a survival tactic since they are anxious not to be accused of publishing falsehoods. This is actually serious since the Zanu (PF) media hangman, Tafataona Mahoso, is still hanging around the ZMC like bad breath. Further, with both AIPPA and POSA still on the law books, journalists and paper editors run the sure risk of being locked up should they publish what the dictatorial Mugabe regime does not appreciate. There is definitely an attempt by most of the media to remain politically correct in the eyes of Mugabe, Mahoso and Zanu (PF). Forget about Johno Moyo; he is in the political dustbin paying for his sins. But as the nation moves closer and closer to the next election, the evil that we have once known will once again be unleashed on the media.
The big guns
A third observation is that although such new papers as NewsDay are very popular with the reading public, they have not yet managed to attract most of the big guns in the advertising world. Indeed, most advertisers still feel more confident placing their adverts in the Herald and Sunday Mail than in the new papers. Weeklies, on the other hand, seem to be holding onto their long-term advertisers, at least for now. It will take quite some time for regular advertisers to switch allegiances from state papers to the new boys in town. The fourth observation we can make is that there has been a meaningful reduction in the price of some independent newspapers, whether weeklies or dailies. There is a school of thought that argues that fifty cents per copy of the daily paper is not sustainable in the long run. That is only true if the reading public remains as small as it is currently. Should the reading public increase significantly in number, economies of scale will ensure that the cheaper papers will still remain viable and highly competitive.
The ever-popular The Zimbabwean does not seem to have been adversely affected by the recent changes in the media arena. The heaps of stories that are packed into that paper continue to make it highly informative and a must to read for most Zimbabweans. The Zimbabwean also continues to attract new advertisers and that is good for business. That paper remains the most hated newspaper for Zanu (PF), and that is also very good for business. Most readers are hoping that The Zimbabwean will also soon be licensed to publish and print locally, in which case it will be able to become a daily paper. One man/woman plus the truth makes a majority.
Post published in: Opinions