The Media In Zimbabwe

 


 
By Silvia Tsitsi Mukwindidza


The Zimbabwean media has proven to be utterly polarised. Media polarisation is when the

media are divided into two camps which support opposed political parties. The media in

Zimbabwe is divided into state media, which supports the ruling party and government officials

while private media supports oppositional political parties and anti-Zanu PF individuals. The

polarisation in Zimbabwe is mainly due to the economic and political situation in the country.

It is distinctly clear to note the political party that a medium supports in Zimbabwe.



Is the mainstream media still worth our time? If we now know that the mainstream media has

agendas to push should we still use it for information or news? Does it benefit us to seat back

every time to read, watch or listen to news that we know has a missing voice or a missing

perspective? How are we being informed by reports that are biased because of advertisers’,

sponsors’ or politicians’ influence on content? Is it not better for us to produce our own content,

edit and disseminate for ourselves on social media platforms?


As one tries to answer these questions, they should bear in mind that even online platforms can

be manipulated. However, citizens have more opportunities to participate in deliberations as

citizens on social media than in the mainstream media. Moreover, not everyone has access to

online content due to various factors such as access and literacy.


The overall question becomes: Do we still need the mainstream media at all? With the advent

of new media, information has become easy to access and disseminate. Many people, mostly

young, are keeping themselves updated on current affairs and trends through new media. Social

media further gives Zimbabweans the freedom to express themselves in a manner that has never

occurred in the country. To criticise the government, even more, criticising the president of the

country was something anyone would only dream of doing.


The freedom of expression that accompanies new media is explained by the power users have

over content that they receive and disseminate online. Users also have control over their

platforms and online accounts, unlike with mainstream media where laws and editorial policies

govern them. Notably, this freedom of expression will be limited by a new cyber bill that was

designed under the need for protecting users from cyber abuse.

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