adminTafadzwa Ndlovu Herald Reporter
Media practitioners have hailed Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo for making great strides in breaking polarisation between the public and private media and fostering dialogue on professional issues as well as addressing media industry concerns.
The journalists said this at a one-day Media Institute of Southern African public discussion forum which was held in the capital yesterday under the theme “Experiences of journalists: Local, Regional and International Perspectives.”
Panellists hailed Prof Moyo and Cde Supa Mandiwanzira for taking bold steps to bridge the gap between the public and private media through constructive engagement.
“After the elections we did not know the environment we were heading to and there was anxiety among us on what was going to happen since we had bad experiences in the past,” said Zimbabwe Independent editor Dumisani Muleya.
“For me personally, the appointment of Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Prof Jonathan Moyo was a progressive and useful appointment.
“The re-engagement with the private media was something we had always wanted. Let us engage in order to create a good working environment for journalists since re-engagement would make us exercise democracy in reportage.’’
Speaking at the same occasion, Herald Editor Caesar Zvayi said there was need for media practitioners to interact more, engage in debate to get the supreme voice.
The story of Zimbabwe, he said, should be told by Zimbabwean scribes to counter the Eurocentric packaging that has been the bane of African history over the years,
The Editor of the Star of South Africa also attended the event.
Online Reporter