adminMr George Charamba said the media represented the tool shaping public opinion, promoting development, democracy and good governance, facilitating nation building and promoting policies that promote high quality of life.
“Over the years media freedom has enabled the emergence of new ways to communicate, share information and knowledge and for people to widen their sense of political participation, identity and belonging.
“Equally important, the media with specific reference to the collective entity of newsprint, electronic and web-based, play a very important role in national development which involves advancement in political, economic and social well being of people,” he said.
Mr Charamba said every medium had a message and target audience to influence attitudes, perceptions, decision making and behaviour.
He encouraged journalists to take advantage of the prevailing Press space to empower and transform citizens of Zimbabwe and take ownership of the development process in order to determine their own national destiny.
The United Nations, he said, would continue to support capacity development of partners in the media by strengthening professional journalism to ensure that an enabling environment exists for more analytical, objective and accurate news reportage. “By so doing we shall not only be enhancing development journalism in this country but additionally fostering deeper commitment by various development actors to play their role in the development of the country and respond adequately to humanitarian needs.”
UN in 2011 provided training to 45 journalists in humanitarian and development reporting. Earlier this year the UN also sent three Zimbabwean journalists to the UN staff college in Italy for training in labour and social issues reporting.
Online Reporter