In our publication of April 23, 2015 on Page 21 under the headline Has Shimmer Chinodya lost his marbles? Our readers felt that the use of the headline to describe the acclaimed writer was disparaging and therefore demeaned his personality.
They also felt that the story stigmatized mental illness yet the story should have given fair and due recognition in the same way we fight against stigmatisation of HIV and Aids afflicted persons.
We have since established that the headline lacked the sensitivity required in health reporting. While Shimmer Chinodya is an acclaimed writer and that what he does makes news, NewsDay respects the right to privacy and confidentiality of our icons.
We sincerely apologise to our readers, Chinodya and his family for the inconvenience the headline may have caused. –Editor