Mukudzei Chingwere — Cabinet has approved the Zimbabwe Media Policy aimed at enhancing the country's media landscape, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere has said.
This policy is designed to protect Zimbabwe's image, sovereignty, and territorial integrity while promoting a robust digital economy and a diverse media industry.
It outlines ambitious goals to transform the media environment through modern infrastructure, emphasising professionalism and creating a comprehensive code of ethics to raise media standards nationwide.
The policy not only seeks to ensure the viability and sustainability of the media but also to cultivate national values and foster a common understanding of Zimbabwe's history and development goals.
Dr Muswere stated that by advancing national interests, the policy aims to enhance the country's social, economic, cultural, and political well-being.
"Cabinet considered and approved the Zimbabwe Media Policy," said Dr Muswere.
"The objectives of the policy are to defend Zimbabwe's image, sovereignty and territorial integrity, to achieve a strong and converged digital economy, to promote the growth and development of a vibrant, diverse media industry in Zimbabwe.
"To transform Zimbabwe's media landscape through the development of modern, efficient, and sustainable infrastructure, to promote professionalism and capacitate the industry, to develop and enforce a comprehensive code of ethics to raise the standards of media practice in Zimbabwe.
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"To instil national values, ethics and citizenship thereby promoting a shared understanding of Zimbabwe's history, vision, and developmental aspirations, advance and protect Zimbabwe's national interests and promote the country's social, economic, cultural and political well-being.
"The Policy will assert and maintain Zimbabwe's media sovereignty to ensure the country's independence and self-determination in the production, dissemination, and regulation of media content. Foster a linguistically inclusive media landscape in Zimbabwe, where all officially recognised languages are valued, promoted, and used to reach diverse audiences and communities and govern the whole sector, including internet-based broadcasting."
With strict measures in place, the policy mandates a 75 percent local content quota for all broadcasting licensees, while specialised broadcasters will adhere to a 50 percent quota.
This initiative seeks to counter the dominance of foreign content and provide necessary incentives for local production, all while safeguarding intellectual property rights.
"The sixth pillar of the policy, which is Local Content Promotion, addresses challenges such as funding constraints, limited producer capacity, the dominance of foreign content, and an inadequate regulatory framework," said Dr Muswere.
"Thematic Working Groups will be established to focus on specific policy pillars, while the ministry will take the lead in coordinating and implementing the Policy."
