INFORMATION minister Christopher Mushohwe has urged the media to jealously guard its professionalism and be wary of powerful political interests that may want to manipulate it, as the country edges towards the 2018 elections.
BY PAIDAMOYO MUZULU
In a speech read by on his behalf by his deputy, Thokozile Mathuthu on World Press Freedom Day in Harare yesterday, Mushohwe said the media should remain ethical and professional in discharging its duties.
“It is a clarion call to the media to remind all journalists that they need to guard jealously their profession against abuse by those bent on destabilising our societies,” he said. Mushohwe said the media plays a critical role in promoting peace, unity and cohesion within communities and within nations. I don’t doubt that you will rise to the occasion today and find solutions to this scourge, which has afflicted our media each time our nations goes to general elections. Allowing our media to be abused by politicians does not help to build a cohesive and professional industry. Such abuse is a bane on our society, divisive and retrogressive,” he said.
Zimbabwe National Editors’ Forum (Zinef) chairman, Dumisani Muleya said media leaders were emerging from the ravages of polarisation that had blighted the media in the last decade by all coming under one body.
“We have now brought all editors together and this would help us deal with polarisation. The media was regimented because of politics,” he said.
The event was organised by Media Alliance of Zimbabwe, Zinef and Unesco.
