(MISA/IFEX) – The “Herald” newspaper reported on 18 March 1999 that the government had begun research aimed at introducing a media policy and law which would “facilitate” the operations of various media organisations in the country. The announcement was made by the Senior Secretary for Information, Posts and Telecommunications, Willard Chiwewe. Chiwewe said that the […]
(MISA/IFEX) – The “Herald” newspaper reported on 18 March 1999 that the
government had begun research aimed at introducing a media policy and
law
which would “facilitate” the operations of various media organisations
in
the country. The announcement was made by the Senior Secretary for
Information, Posts and Telecommunications, Willard Chiwewe.
Chiwewe said that the government wanted a draft media policy out within
the
next two months after which contributions and comments would be sourced
from
different media representatives. The government’s aim was that the media
policy would guide the formulation of the media law.
The intended law reportedly would create institutions like a media
council,
which would regulate the professional conduct of journalists. Chiwewe
said a
media council “…is meant to establish a self-monitoring arrangement in
the
media through a law, not through lobby groups or trade unions as it is
right
now.” The media law would also examine criteria in terms of which
foreigners
were allowed to invest in local newspapers and other media institutions.
MISA-Zimbabwe reports that the government’s intended move is seen by
many as
a further attempt to gag the independent press. The chapter reports that
relations between the government and the private press have greatly
soured
of late, especially after the arrest of two “Standard” journalists, Mark
Chavunduka and Ray Choto, in January of this year.
