Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
ZIMPAPERS employees in Mutare have been encouraged to adopt innovative practices and align themselves with the company’s long-term digital-first strategy.
Zimpapers Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr William Chikoto told a town hall meeting this morning, that the transformation requires not only physical changes, but also fundamental mindset shift.
Mr Chikoto said the company is transitioning to a modern, converged newsroom model, where all content producers work within a unified system simultaneously producing content for multiple platforms – print, radio, television, online, and social media platform – in real time.
“We are no longer in an era dominated by traditional print media. Our audience has migrated to digital platforms, and as a company, we must adapt to where our audience is. Zimpapers has become a digital-first organisation, not merely in theory, but in practice. This transformation begins with our newsrooms,” said Mr Chikoto, urging everyone to be part of the transition.
Mr Chikoto also said the newsroom at Herald House has undergone significant changes, and now operates as a fully integrated digital-first newsroom – one of the best on the continent.
“The newly transformed Herald newsroom in Harare will be officially launched in the coming few weeks. It is already operational, and is one of Africa’s top newsrooms in terms of digital integration. We will replicate the same model here in Mutare. The company is undergoing strategic transformation into a digital-first media house, with all newsrooms, including The Manica Post and Diamond FM in Mutare, aligning with this robust vision,” he said.
Mr Chikoto underscored the need for The Manica Post/Diamond FM newsroom to function as a daily publication, prioritising website-first publication and providing continuous updates across all digital platforms.
“Our journalists must adopt a digital mindset and approach. Even though you are a weekly publication, the content be produced as if it were for a daily publication,” he emphasised.
Mr Chikoto also stressed the importance of financial sustainability, announcing that Zimpapers is actively exploring new revenue models.
“We are diversifying our revenue streams. It is no longer solely about selling newspapers. Every employee in this company has a responsibility to contribute to revenue generation. Identify content that can be monetized and think beyond traditional advertising,” he said.
