(MISA/IFEX) – Journalists will be required to produce professional qualifications before being issued press cards under the proposed accreditation regulations, “The Herald” reported on Friday 9 March 2001. Minister of State for Information and Publicity Jonathan Moyo said the requirement was one of the proposals under consideration as the government reviews accreditation regulations. He said […]
(MISA/IFEX) – Journalists will be required to produce professional qualifications before being issued press cards under the proposed accreditation regulations, “The Herald” reported on Friday 9 March 2001.
Minister of State for Information and Publicity Jonathan Moyo said the requirement was one of the proposals under consideration as the government reviews accreditation regulations. He said the proposed Freedom of Information Bill, soon to be presented to parliament, would form the basis of the accreditation rules.
“We have existing accreditation regulations whose implementation has been relaxed if not corrupted, and we are now reviewing them in the context of the forthcoming Freedom of Information Bill so that we can fully implement them,” said Moyo.
“The Herald” reports that the government would consult unions that represent journalists on the proposals but not activist organisations that “make noise on behalf of political parties”. Moyo said that a lot of people masquerade as journalists and that the profession should get rid of those people.
“There are a lot of people who only yesterday used to write letters to editors and are now masquerading as journalists, to the detriment of the profession, because they know nothing about the ethics of journalism,” said Moyo. “They are violating the cardinal principle of fair, accurate, balanced and complete reporting. Journalism has been infiltrated by unqualified people.”
When he was told that academic qualifications should not necessarily be required for journalists to work, Moyo replied, “Are you telling me that journalism is not a profession? Other professionals like lawyers and doctors would object if their professions were infiltrated. Those who do not have journalism qualifications must do things they are qualified to do.”
Moyo said that the Freedom of Information Bill would facilitate the free-flow of information by taking into account security issues, preserving community standards of decency and protecting children from harmful information. It would also deal with ownership structures in the media with an aim to preventing monopolies and cross-section ownership whereby one company or person owns businesses in various sectors of the media. He also stated that the bill would seek to shift ownership of the media to local people, who can articulate their heritage and values better than foreigners.
