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Zimbabwe AMDI research report | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Author: Rashweat Mukundu
Zimbabwe’s media industry is facing significant challenges due to a collapsing economy, political tensions and controversial legislation enacted by the ruling ZANU-PF government. Private radio, TV and newspaper organisations are suffering as a result of the poor economic situation. The decline in advertising revenue due to company closures and political interference is having a particularly negative impact. The enactment of repressive media laws has, for example, resulted in the regression of the newspaper industry over the past five years, evident in the closure of four newspapers. The use of legislation, such as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act to shut down media outlets, has also spurred a number of journalists and other skilled media workers to leave the industry, with some leaving the country. Besides the restrictive legislative environment, the plight of the Zimbabwean journalist is exacerbated by poor salaries and a low skills base due to a lack of training and poor infrastructure. On the other hand, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Zimbabwe have proliferated. They are now one of the few remaining alternative voices on media and human rights issues in Zimbabwe. NGOs focused on human rights and media freedom are viewed as important watchdogs against increasingly repressive measures from the state. Improving Zimbabwe’s media is contingent upon policy reform and an end to the political and economic crisis. The view of many of those interviewed for this study is that repressive laws must be repealed and the constitution reformed so that media rights (and the public’s right of access to information) are specifically guaranteed. Investment in independent and community media are strategic priorities, as is investment in enabling journalists to train in reporting skills, ethics and information and communication technologies. Case study: 'Development through radio' project Realising the potential of radio in transcending barriers of illiteracy, the Federation of African Media Women of Zimbabwe (FAMWZ) launched the Development through radio project. Its goal is to increase the participation of disadvantaged rural women in the decision-making process around matters pertaining to their socio-economic and political life. Established in 1985 by women working in the media, FAMWZ seeks to empower media women through training and advocacy campaigns on issues that affect them. It also aims to increase the number of female voices in the media. These activities were later broadened to include grassroots communities, giving rise to the Development through radio project. The research team Contact for this report Rashweat Mukundu Contact for the African Media Research project About PDF documents Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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