BY STAFF REPORTER
Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) journalists on Wednesday dominated the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe/European Union investigative journalism awards ceremony.
AMH is the biggest private media organisation in the country and publishes its flagship daily NewsDay, The Standard and Zimbabwe Independent and also operates a broadcasting station, Heart & Soul TV.
Senior Parliamentary reporter Veneranda Langa won the outstanding Gender and Marginalised Groups award, while senior reporter Blessed Mhlanga was crowned the 2018 general elections investigative reporter of the year.
Speaking at the awards ceremony on Wednesday night, Information secretary, Ndavaningi Mangwana said a free Press was important for the country.
“It is not government’s desire to control the media. But the Constitution places the responsibility to regulate (and not control) the media in the hands of the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC). We, however, are not opposed to the media having bodies that work together with the ZMC to regulate media conduct and ethical behaviour of journalists. That role should be jointly performed by professional bodies such as the VMCZ through a peer review,” he said.
EU in Zimbabwe supported the awards and also training of investigative journalists.
The bloc’s head of co-operation Irene Giribaldi said media freedom was important in any democracy.
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“Media freedom and pluralism are pillars of democracy and instrumental to both inform citizens and hold public authorities to account,” she said.
