‘Vibrant media not adversary of State’

Source: www.zimbabwesituation.com

Source: ‘Vibrant media not adversary of State’ – herald Wallace Ruzvidzo Herald Reporter A VIBRANT, free and responsible press is not an adversary of the State, but a partner in national development, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda has said. In his remarks at the 15th anniversary celebrations of the Daily News newspaper in Harare yesterday, Dr Soda said Government was fully committed to ensuring the sustainability of traditional media. “We do not view the ‘death of print’ as an inevitability, but as a challenge to innovate. Traditional media remains the gold standard for verified, ethical and credible information,” he said.

Dr Soda said the advent of digitalisation and the rise of Big Tech giants had fundamentally altered the business model of traditional media. “Information that was once a premium product is now a commodity distributed instantly on social platforms, often bypassing the revenue streams of the hard-working newsrooms that produced it,” he said. The Second Republic’s “Ease of Doing Business” thrust, said Dr Soda, applied to every sector, including the media. As such, the Information Minister announced that regulatory fees and administrative costs were currently under serious consideration for review. “We are drawing inspiration from other sectors of the economy where Cabinet has since reduced taxes and costs downwards to enhance productivity. “The media sector will not be left behind.

We want to create a fiscal environment where a newspaper can reinvest in its journalists, upgrade its digital infrastructure and expand its reach without being choked by the cost of regulation. We want you to spend more time innovating and less time worrying about administrative bottlenecks,” Dr Soda said. The Minister said in an era of fake news and algorithmic bias, the role of an editor and a professional journalist was more critical than ever. “We cannot allow our media houses to collapse under the weight of digital disruption.

To ensure this sustainability, I am committed to deepening the policy thrust established and to implementing provisions that allow viability of the sector,” he said. Dr Soda said under the guidance of the Second Republic, the Information Ministry will continue to work tirelessly to create a conducive environment for the operation of an unfettered press. “We believe that an unfettered press is the lifeblood of democracy. It provides the checks and balances necessary for a healthy society. “Our President often reminds us that ‘bricks and mortar’ do not build a nation alone; it is the spirit of the people and the clarity of our shared vision that move us towards Vision 2030.

The media is the primary vehicle for communicating that vision,” he said. Dr Soda said the launch of the National Media Policy stood as a beacon of the Second Republic’s commitment to the development of the sector. “This policy was not drafted in a vacuum; it is a product of extensive consultation with you, the practitioner, to ensure that our legal framework matches the aspirations of a modern, democratic Zimbabwe.” “We have opened up the airwaves, licensing new commercial television stations and community radio stations across the country – ensuring that the voice of the person in the remote parts of the country is as audible as the voice of the person in Harare. “This is the democratisation of information in action,” he said. Dr Soda commended the Daily News for achieving the 15-year milestone. “Fifteen years is not merely a passage of time; it is a testament to resilience, professional endurance and commitment to the fundamental task of informing a nation,” said the Minister.

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Related topics: media freedom, government policy, Information Minister, press sustainability, digitalisation, media regulation, Second Republic, tax review, traditional media, national development

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