4 July 2009
editorial
THE more things seem to change, the more they remain stubbornly the same.
On Friday Minister of Media, Information and Publicity, Webster Shamu, held a three-hour meeting at his Munhumutapa building offices with editors from both the private and public sectors. He wanted to advance media reform and establish dialogue with all editors, he told the media leadership present.
He spoke of the ministry's desire to open a new chapter in the way it related to all editors, irrespective of the organisations where they worked.
He was at pains to explain that the government had not hounded out of the country Zimbabweans who have gone on to establish external radio stations. He also said that contrary to widespread perceptions, the government had not banned foreign networks such as the BBC, CNN and Sky News from visiting Zimbabwe.
He said he wanted a new beginning and suggested that he would take up a proposal for the three principals to the Global Political Agreement (GPA) to interface with the editors regularly, perhaps on a quarterly basis.
He also appealed to the editors to ensure that high on their list of priorities should be the practice of fair, balanced, ethical and factual journalism.
Editors from the private sector were surprised by this frank approach. They welcomed the move believing that is what the country requires, particularly as it embarks on the recovery process.
Although sceptical, they believed the minister deserved the benefit of the doubt in this initiative. The editors suggested that more could be achieved if the government started implementing sections of the GPA relating to the opening up of the media landscape and allowing the return of exiled media practitioners.
The gesture, argued the editors, would go a long way in changing the West's response and contribution to Zimbabwe's reform process. On Wednesday, Sweden, the new chair of the European Union through its ambassador to Zimbabwe, Sten Rylander, pledged support for the inclusive government, but he in turn asked that the new government to do more to demonstrate its commitment to the GPA.
On the same day the minister was promising media reform, outgoing US ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee, rejecting the idea that Zimbabwe needs more donor support to return to normalcy, said it does not cost anything for Zimbabwe to license new private media, stop arrests of political activists and independent journalists and allow international journalists to practise openly in Zimbabwe.
Freeing of the media would demonstrate commitment to "real change" and would be critical to unlocking the West's support for the inclusive government, he said.
Subsequent to the meeting at Munhumutapa building, The Herald, acting as if it was not present at the meeting, dutifully reported what the minister had said and omitted the contributions of the editors. It was a classic example of old-style selective reporting.
So what began as a useful dialogue ended up as a lecture on the need to support national unity. We are sure that is not what the minister intended. Unless there is something we do not understand here, someone is trying hard to sabotage Friday's initiative.
The defiance seems to be becoming more pronounced as it was accompanied yesterday by the return of "Nathaniel Manheru's" column in the Herald with all its venomous language and visceral hostility to Morgan Tsvangirai. Clearly this is not the change or national unity the minister spoke of. It can only suggest a slap in the face for his efforts.
So long as these reactionary elements continue to block reform and denounce their GPA partners, change which Friday's meeting betokened will be painfully slow.
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