Online Reporter
Chronicle Writer
THE Government has approved the Zimbabwe Media Policy, the objectives of which include defending the country’s image, sovereignty and territorial integrity, in order to achieve a strong and converged digital economy that promotes the growth and development of a vibrant and diverse media industry in Zimbabwe.
The policy will also transform the country’s media landscape through the development of modern, efficient and sustainable infrastructure, promote professionalism and capacitate the industry to develop and enforce a comprehensive code of ethics that will help raise the standards of media practice.
In his post-Cabinet briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said the media policy will also promote media viability and sustainability.
“The Zimbabwe Media Policy will nurture and instil national values, ethics and citizenship, thereby promoting a shared understanding of Zimbabwe’s history, vision and developmental aspirations. It will advance and protect Zimbabwe’s national interests and promote the country’s social, economic, cultural and political well-being,” he said.
The minister said the policy will also assert and maintain the country’s media sovereignty to ensure Zimbabwe’s independence and self-determination in the production, dissemination and regulation of media content.
“It will foster a linguistically inclusive media landscape in Zimbabwe, where all officially recognised languages are valued, promoted, and used to reach diverse audiences and communities, and govern the whole sector, including internet-based broadcasting,” said Dr Muswere.
The minister noted that the sixth pillar of the policy, which focuses on local content promotion, addresses challenges such as funding constraints, limited producer capacity, the dominance of foreign content and an inadequate regulatory framework.
“To promote local content and counter foreign dominance, the policy maintains a 75 percent local content quota for all broadcasting licenses, except for specialised ones, which will have a 50 percent quota.
“The policy also introduces incentives for local content production, the protection of intellectual property rights, and the enforcement of regulations limiting foreign content dominance,” said Dr Muswere.
He said the policy supports local cultural preservation, digital technology uptake and initiatives promoting employment, information dissemination, and access to information.
“Thematic working groups will be established to focus on specific policy pillars, while the ministry will take the lead in co-ordinating and implementing the policy,” said Dr Muswere.
