MEDIA MONITORING PROJECT ZIMBABWE
MEDIA UPDATE # 2001/10
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Monday 5 March to Sunday 11 March, 2001
SUMMARY
Zimpapers and the Daily News provided in-depth coverage of the Parliamentary Legal Committee
adverse findings on the broadcast regulations. However, all media failed to exercise the same
level of responsibility in reporting other key issues of the week. MMPZ has previously highlighted
a disturbing trend of polarization in coverage of issues between the public and private media. In
the week contradictory interpretation of events such as gay activist Peter Tatchell’s attempt to
perform a citizen’s arrest on President Mugabe in Paris as well as the resignation of Zimpaper’s
chairman Tommy Sithole are a further reflection of this trend which threatens the credibility of the
mainstream media.
Media Issues
1. Broadcasting regulations:
The Parliamentary Legal Committee confirmed the private press’s earlier misgivings about the
constitutionality of the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) Broadcasting Regulations
(Zimpapers and Daily News 9/03).
Zimpapers provided in-depth coverage of the committee’s adverse report making up for its earlier
failure to inform its audience those regulations’ attempts to restrict reporting rights; content;
number; and operations of prospective broadcasters were nothing short of draconian. ZBC failed
to provide meaningful information about the regulations. Previously, ZBCTV merrily billed the new
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regulations as the “liberalization of the airwaves” (October 10 2000). This time it completely
ignored the committee’s report.
Minister Moyo’s statement that he would go ahead with a Broadcasting Services Bill (Zimpapers,
8/03) even in the face of the report that sections violate basic public and media rights is a cause
for concern. None of the media followed up Moyo’s defiant remarks and analyzed the implications
of this in light of the Parliamentary Legal Committee Report.
(ii) Accreditation
Minister Moyo confirmed that government would make radical changes as to who is entitled to
practice as a journalist and that only those with professional journalism qualifications would be
accredited (Zimpapers dailies 9/03). The accreditation process is part of a wider move to tighten
state-control over the media and control access to information under a so-called “Freedom of
Information Bill”. Elsewhere freedom of information laws has been promulgated to promote public
(and therefore its media’s) access to information, including government records. Although the full
contents of the proposed Bill are unknown, government has expelled two foreign correspondents,
Joseph Winter of the BBC and Mercedes Sayagues of the Mail and Guardian citing a changed
accreditation process.
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Despite Minister Moyo’s insistence that government will only consult “unions that represent
journalists” and not activist organisations that allegedly “make noise on behalf of political
parties,” MMPZ, nevertheless submits that, to benefit both the media fraternity and the
public the accreditation process should based on the following principles:
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journalism is one of the exercises of the right to freedom of expression, which is
protected and guaranteed by the Constitution of Zimbabwe and international treaties to
which Zimbabwe is party. Government therefore has no role to play in deciding who may
practise as a journalist as this violates editorial independence and autonomy and
therefore media freedom;
journalism is a unique profession un-like medicine and law. It is also a trade or craft that
requires a variety of skills depending on the subject of reporting. It is therefore impossible
to gauge competency based on professional journalism qualifications.
Given that there are laws already in existence, which deal with journalistic malpractice, it is
unclear why more laws are required. Also, it is debatable whether lack of professionalism in the
media has to do with qualifications or whether it is as a result of partisan agenda of controlling
interests.
A ZBC TV report (9/03 8pm) failed to qualify comments made by Minister for Information
Jonathan Moyo in which he interpreted the role of the state-owned media. At a ZBC restructuring
workshop Moyo was quoted as having said that as a state institution, the ZBC had an obligation
to comply with the policies of the government of the day, as it should articulate professionally the
visions of that government and the nation. He said that the “debate that ZBC should not be
partisan is meaningless” and that those who said that (ZBC is partisan) were trying to privatize
the ZBC politically for sectional interests.
It is important to comment on this enduring myth that governments of the day have a
constitutional right to abuse state institutions like the media, the police force and the army at the
expense of broader national interest.
This thinking has resulted in compromised reporting in state-controlled media. MMPZ research
has shown that ZBC news coverage is biased in favour of the Zanu (PF) government. A UN
special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression clarified the role of the statecontrolled media thus:
The State-owned media have a responsibility to report on all aspects of life and to provide
a diversity of viewpoints; state-owned media must not be used as a communication or
propaganda organ for one political party or as an advocate for the Government at the
exclusion of all other parties and groups.”
There is, therefore, no constitutional justification for the state-controlled media to purvey ruling
party propaganda at the expense of other groups.
If the ZBC is to perform its true function as a national broadcaster, it must be removed from the
control of government, which, under existing legislation appoints both the Board of Governors and
the Director General. It must be put under the control of an authority independent from the ruling
party of the day and be made accountable to a more representative body such as Parliament.
Reporting the Truth!
MMPZ does not expect the media to cover issues in a similar manner. However conflicting
versions of the same story, in this case the reasons behind Zimpaper’s chairman Tommy
Sithole’s resignation, only serve to short change readers as well as contributing to public
skepticism about media representations. ZIMPAPERS and ZBC reported Sithole’s resignation
according to government’s explanation, that Sithole had resigned because of other work
commitments [(ZBC, (6/3) 8pm) and Zimpapers dailies 7/03)].
In contrast, the private press extensively quoted anonymous sources who accused Minister Moyo
of manipulating news at ZIMPAPERS by appointing his allies. The Financial Gazette (08/03) was
of the opinion that:
”…Sithole resigned after he refused to implement a directive from Information Minister Jonathan
Moyo to reshuffle editors of three key Zimpapers titles …” The article added that Zimpapers
dailies reports were “… a smokescreen to hoodwink the public into believing that Sithole’s
departure from Zimpapers was a normal one”. The Zimbabwe Independent (09/03) followed a
similar line.
Similarly, coverage of activist Peter Tatchell’s confrontation with President Mugabe, also called
into question, the extent to which the media distorts events (6/3; ZBCTV and radio, 8pm and all
press).
What actually transpired during the confrontation was unclear in the reports, which were a
curious mixture of fact and opinion. The Herald (06/03) article under the highly opinionated
headline “Gay gangster Tatchell thumped” stated that “Tatchell was yesterday severely
beaten up by President Mugabe’s security in Brussels …A horde of journalists, who had
flown from Britain for the “special event” were not spared as they were also beaten up and
had to run for dear life”. ZIMPAPERS (06/03) quoted Minister of Foreign Affairs Stan
Mudenge who described Tatchell’s latest attempt as a sign of desperation by the British. No
comment was accessed from the British government and/or the British High Commission.
The Daily News (06/03) headline and main story “Mugabe nearly arrested” was both misleading
and sensational. The paper (06/03) stated that Tatchell was only “knocked down” while on
Wednesday (07/03) it reported that Tatchell had been “savagely beaten” by Mugabe’s
bodyguards.
According to CNN footage shown on ZBCTV there was no evidence of either “a savage beating”
or “a horde” of British journalists having to “run for dear life”. Neither were there reports
elsewhere of journalists being beaten up by the Presidential guard.
Special mention: ZBC slips.
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Last month, (February 3 ) ZBCTV reported an MDC youth as having defected to Zanu PF.
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MMPZ notes that on March 11 , which is in the week, the same youth re-appeared in yet another
defection report. (ZBCTV, 11/03, 8pm)!
Ends
This report was prepared by the Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe, 221 Fife Avenue, Harare,
monitors@mweb.co.zw,
Web:
Tel/fax:
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E-mail:
http://www.icon.co.zw/mmpz
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