Gibson Nyikadzino — The biggest threat to Africa's journalism model is that it is a piece cut from the cloth of models of Western journalism that are highly commercial, capitalistic political discourses and thrive on self-centred goals that protect their 'civilisation'.
African journalism has to be an alternative to that as it comes from a place that has been exploited, underdeveloped and marginalised. It is this journalism that should therefore uphold unity, community values and promote development.
Today, economic development is the central theme underpinning Zimbabwe's renaissance. One noticeable pattern is that the Second Republic has initiated a trajectory that, in most cases, sees development move from the periphery to the centre, a reverse from the norm.
Rural industrialisation initiatives have been a key cornerstone in advancing development. If greater economic activities happen in the periphery, initiatives that define the rural industrialisation agenda lead to a rise in household incomes, improve the flow of capital to the countryside and create a drive towards achieving an upper-middle income economy by 2030.
The role of the media should not be downplayed. To achieve these developmental targets outlined in the ZANU PF 2018 election manifesto, which have been implemented through the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) and the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), the media is essential to effectively formulate messages that relate to national policy.
The idea of development in Zimbabwe should be the dominant and legitimate discourse above all, as the quest for state modernity can be sought and achieved through factually disseminating information that makes citizens crave to be part of national programmes.
Food security, infrastructure development, women and youth empowerment, education and health sector reforms, building national identities, among others, are critical indicators that determine how competent and serious a people are on the issue of development.
To achieve development targets in various spheres and sectors, information ought to be gathered, and in its nature, be technically organised and presented, such that when it is communicated, it should influence positive change, also known as development.
It should not be the business of a journalist, print or electronic, to write and speak plainly without any technical interpretation of information. Information spoken, as for purposes of development, should be informed by a strong analysis, theory and perspective.
To some extent, the deficiencies in information on national development are a result of unanalytical and uninquisitive minds that find pleasure in merely communicating flat figures and stories without whetting the appetite of the reader or listener and satisfaction of the target audience. On many occasions, this has been the case with some radio programmes and programming in Zimbabwe at a crucial time when the idea of national development should top the agenda.
There has to be a co-relationship between the program that is on radio, the information the presenter has, and the ability of the presenter to create and structure conversations that attract audiences in different spheres. With Government programmes, what is key is that policymakers get feedback which they act upon to rectify and improve situations. The same goes for the print journalist, digital storytellers and in some cases, bloggers and vloggers.
It is undeniable that technology has changed the way radio stations program their content, and the presence of digital communication platforms and 'citizen journalism' is also affecting the ability of media in general to influence audiences as they are playing "content catch-up" with 'citizen journalists'.
This means even the journalist has to be different in terms of thinking, processing and application of mind to work.
As these changes occur, for mass communication, radio remains the most used medium the world over, Zimbabwe included, as it is ideal in terms of accessibility and has the widest geographical reach and the greatest audiences compared to television, newspapers and the internet-based platforms.
The universal reach of radio, particularly in the developing world where socio-economic programs are implemented in search of modernity, is one that should be held in sacred esteem.
At a time of intense urbanisation, social change in rural communities, labour and skills movement, radio in Zimbabwe remains a key anchor for development that provides the ideological basis for a state's information dissemination strategy to legitimise the development call.
Radio journalists have to be applauded for making the media live to fulfil its role to educate, entertain and inform, also when playing the surveillance part. Those that follow developmental discussions understand that efforts that have been made to create linkages and exchange platforms between policymakers, government bodies, communities, researchers and audiences through radio.
This happens on the basis of understanding that development is a communicative process where radio, television, newspapers and new media technologies are vital instruments for the required dialogue and raising awareness.
However, educative and informative programs need to be implemented without error to achieve national goals.
Zimbabwe is a developing nation that has made significant advancements in many facets of contemporary life. If radio is used to give focus to development programmes, it will be a powerful weapon, absolutely essential for a growing country like ours. This will also draw active human participation to decent levels and elements of sustainable development.
Without distraction, radio remains a key instrument to promote development. Nevertheless, there is an ongoing and growing moral debate regards language use in the form of art on the radio and also how Zimbabwe can keep an uncontaminated cultural environment. It is understood that culture, as the everydayness of a people, remains dynamic in the form of acts, language and also non-verbal cultural forms.
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For critical consideration, the relationship between radio language, audience, and programming is now shifting because of the adoption of a new lingua franca, which is now creeping into society and used by both artists and presenters as normal.
When radio programmes are anchored in indigenous dialects, they enhance the vocabulary, comprehension and the vitality of all 15 spoken languages in Zimbabwe. As entertaining as music should be and is, radio should also be used to raise the prestige of Zimbabwe's heritage through language.
The excitement that comes with coining new terms is tempered by the failure of those terms to be fully adopted into the language mainstream because its use, artistically or professionally, is regarded with suspicion.
Proponents of regulation, self-regulation and co-regulation should also consider this matter with the gravity it has, for it will be difficult to achieve national goals with available media platforms if there remain aspects that attack Zimbabwe's environment.
It is not feasible for the Government and stakeholders to leave the image of the country and cultural conventions under attack the name of art and creativity. An amicable common ground has to be sought.
