Alarm over Zimbabwe's new media blueprint

Media advocacy groups have raised serious concerns over what they describe as the veiled criminalisation of journalism in Zimbabwe's new National Media Policy, launched by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday at State House in Harare.

While the policy aims to transform the country's information environment in response to global challenges such as disinformation, artificial intelligence disruption, and economic sustainability issues, critics say its punitive measures could undermine press freedom and professional autonomy.

The Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) and several other stakeholders criticised the government's failure to broadly consult key media players during the policy's formulation and warned that the document, while progressive in parts, risks silencing critical journalism through excessive sanctions.

"The sanctions against the media need revisiting to ensure the policy meets democratic benchmarks," said VMCZ Executive Director Loughty Dube. "We cannot punch the media in the eye whenever there are ethical disputes between the media, complainants, and the government. The policy references the importance of not criminalising journalism but goes on to do exactly that."

The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) echoed these sentiments, with Secretary-General Perfect Hlongwane describing parts of the policy as "a resurrection of the criminalisation of journalism."

"It is unfortunate that the section dealing with penalties appears to penalise dissenting journalists," said Hlongwane. "This undermines the spirit of co-regulation that the media and government had previously agreed upon, which promotes accountability through peer-based mechanisms rather than criminal law."

Other commentators pointed to structural shortcomings and a lack of practical protections for journalists.

"The policy missed an opportunity to include concrete protections for journalists against attacks by both State and non-State actors," said media advocate Mlondolozi Ndlovu. "We hope the policy aligns with constitutional rights, particularly those enshrined in Sections 61 and 62 - freedom of expression and access to information."

The Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (Zinef), which has long advocated for a balanced and inclusive media policy, welcomed the policy's attempt to address key challenges but decried what it called a "divide-and-rule" approach in its development.

"It is worrying that major stakeholders were neither consulted during the drafting process nor invited to the launch," said Zinef coordinator Njabulo Ncube. "What we've seen is not meaningful consultation but the co-option of a select few whose interests do not necessarily reflect those of the broader media industry."

Ncube also questioned the policy's commitment to the long-promised co-regulation model - a compromise between self-regulation and State control - noting the absence of concrete implementation plans.

Meanwhile, media development expert Nigel Nyamutumbu said the policy failed to address foundational structural issues that continue to constrain the media landscape.

"There's a clear need to transform State media into public service media in line with constitutional provisions," said Nyamutumbu. "Additionally, the policy should have tackled regulatory convergence between broadcasting and the internet, and streamlined the burdensome tax regime affecting media sustainability."

He called for the adoption of a multi-stakeholder approach going forward, saying it was the only way to ensure that the policy responds to the realities and needs of the entire sector.

As debate over the policy intensifies, the government faces mounting pressure to amend contentious clauses and meaningfully engage with the media fraternity to preserve freedom of the press while fostering ethical journalism and industry sustainability.