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Elita Chikwati in Kadoma
Political parties have been urged to develop communication strategies and engage the media for coverage for them to be visible to the electorate.
This comes as more than 50 foreign media houses have applied to be accredited to cover the harmonised elections.
This was said by Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services chief director, Mr Jonathan Gandari, while addressing editors attending an elections workshop in Kadoma yesterday. The workshop was organised by the Zimbabwe Media Commission and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission with funding from UNESCO.
The workshop is meant to equip the media with knowledge on electoral processes and ensure journalists contribute towards the creation of a peaceful environment during and after elections.
Mr Gandari said most political parties wanted coverage, but did not have the communication strategies and personnel to liaise with the media.
“Political parties should develop their own content and package it to persuade the voters. It is not for the media to do this for them,” he said. “The media only avails the slots and platforms for the political parties to take up.
“This is an active process that involves engagements and sharing of diaries between the communication departments of political parties and the media. For the integrity of the process, it is not the role of the media to organise or disorganise the political parties.”
Mr Gandari said the Government had aligned media laws to the Constutiton to promote media pluralism and diversity and promote news gathering and dissemination.
He said this year’s elections would be conducted without the repealed Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
“Now there is the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In addition to the public service broadcasting platforms, there are six new commercial channels, new provisional radio stations, and variety of regional newspapers,” he said.
Mr Gandari said there was a huge interest from foreign media to come and cover the elections this year, with organisations such as ITV News, Channel Africa Radio, New York Times, ARD German News, Radio Television Suisse, De Telegraaf, Financial Times, The Times, Voice of Africa, Zwelles Deutsches, CNN, The Daily Telegraph, Sveriges Radio, Newzroom Africa, among others, having applied for accreditation.
“There is no better way of demonstrating the success of the Second Republics’ policy of engagement and re-engagement. There is no better way of demonstrating His Excellency President Dr. E. D Mnangagwa’s genuineness when he says Zimbabwe is Open for Business. There is no better way of showing that the media environment has shifted and changed for the better. We are in a more positive space and we have a good story to tell the world,” he said.
Mr Gandari urged the local media to be well prepared not be overshadowed by the foreign media since locals have a deep understanding of laws, culture and have had trainings.
Speaking on behalf of ZEC chief executive Mr Utoile Silaigwana, Mr Justin Manyau urged the media to report accurately on electoral processes and follow rules that guide their conduct and also desist from using hate speech.
He urged journalists to desist from publishing sensational and inflammatory news.
UNESCO regional advisor for communication and information, Mr Al Amin Yusup, urged the media to familiarise with the elections guidelines and cover elections in a balanced way that did not incite people.
ZMC deputy director, Mr Jasper Maposah, said how the media reported on political players and political developments in the country had serious implications on the ultimate electoral environment.
“The media is a key vehicle hence we need to take due attention as to how we conduct ourselves,” he said. “The media must be capacitated with necessary knowledge in covering elections.”
Online Reporter