dyton mupawaenda
Dennis Chimanzi-Arts Correspondent
In a bid to continue fostering and equipping arts journalists, the National Gallery of Zimbabwe partnered Zimpapers to host a workshop to re-kit and re-tool its writers and bolster coverage.
The workshop was attended by the Zimpapers Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr Pikirayi Deketeke who said that it is a privilege for the integrated media house’s arts journalists to be equipped with art writing and reporting skills which can maintain the company’s best brand in the country.
“It’s our privilege as the biggest media company to have our journalists who are well trained in all fields like this field of art.”
“This can make our company very different and outstanding than other media companies here in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Mr Deketeke said art is very important in defining Zimbabweans.
“We should write stories that portray our identity as art defines us.”
The Zimpapers chief executive said he was worried about how some local reporters are not doing diligence and proper research on subjects and covering other disciplines.
“Art is not only music but there are a lot of sectors that also need reporting such as sculptor, visual arts and of course fashion.”
He said that if our own reporters keep on failing in reporting on visual arts obviously the foreign reporters will take advantage of that.
“Our public is starving because our local reporters are not doing very well in that field.”
“If our reporters keep failing to write and report about our own art obviously the foreign reporters can take advantage of that and in the end, you can read about our art from the magazines which are coming from overseas yet we have many local reporters,” said Mr Deketeke.
NGZ executive director Raphael Chikukwa also backed the point by the Zimpapers CEO that our local reporters are still behind in terms of reporting about our art.
Chikukwa who was recently in Slovenia, was chuffed with how foreigners appreciate the local art.
“I saw a magazine in a library written by a foreign journalist which speaks a lot about our ancient art and also our today’s art.
“When I was in Slovenia I was shocked to read a magazine written by a foreign journalist in a library which speaks a lot more about our art, this was an indication that our local journalists are failing to utilise that slot,” he said.
Chikukwa added that art can play a part in promoting tourism if it is spoken about very well.
He said that in Zimbabwe we have rich art in the form of artifacts like rock paintings and stone age iron axes and animal bone tools.
“If our own art is reported very well it can promote our tourism, we have so many artifacts that can attract tourists and this is possible if it is spoken about very well,” he said.
Online Reporter