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EDITORIAL: A ROBUST and VIBRANT local journalism is the lifeblood of civil society. It provides trusted local information and news, triggers public dialogue and holds persons and institutions of power to account.
By The Editorial Team
EDITORIAL — A robust and vibrant local journalism is the lifeblood of civil society. It provides trusted local information and news, triggers public dialogue and holds persons and institutions of power to account.
But in Zimbabwe, most citizens, especially those residing in peri-urban and rural communities have been living in news [and information] deserts for decades, making it difficult for them to participate actively in local and national matters of public interest.
Despite a number of positives ushered by the technological revolution, the situation remains the same especially for low-income and poor citizens with no access to new media. Their plight might remain the same if government does nothing to support a vibrant local media.
The Chimanimani disaster induced by Cyclone Idai reminded us that information and local news are not only a necessary ingredient for inspiring active citizen participation but an umbilical cord linking the governors and the governed, something which both the previous and current government administration seems to callously overlook.
If Chimanimani communities had a vibrant local media in the mould of community radios and televisions, community newspapers and hyper-local news web platforms, hundreds of people who perished through ravaging waters and storms induced by Cyclone Idai would have received warnings at the right time.
Where was the mainstream media when this happened? The dismal state of the mainstream media and its shortsightedness in terms of shining a light on key local issues points towards local news’ rising importance. But as it turns out, community-focused journalism is the government’s far-end priority.
Its sad to note that while both fledgling and established democracies across the world are battling with saving local news as a vital community service, Zimbabwe’s new government — which parades itself as pro-democracy continues to use State security details to muzzle efforts by those seeking to build, from the ground up, a vibrant independent press with communities at the centre.
In sharp contrast to President Mnangagwa’s “we are open for business” philosophy, on Thursday, overzealous State security details relentlessly chased down a 263Chat reporter who ran for his dear life and sought refuge at the outlet’s office in Harare Central Business District where cops in riot gear teargassed and ransacked the outlet’s offices leaving other journalists scampering for cover.
This, we are told, was after the 263Chat reporter had photographed and video-recorded human rights violations perpetrated by the cops working in collaboration with Harare municipal police in an operation which saw them using brute force to remove informal traders from the streets of the capital city.
To us, the barbaric act by the State security details with support of the capital’s municipal police is symbolic of the state’s aversion of a vibrant independent press in the mould of hyper-local news outlets which produce hard-hitting journalism in non-traditional settings, often in ways that dilute the public and State-controlled press' monopolistic tendencies.
What makes this unfortunate act by State police most deplorable is that it comes at a time the media is celebrating the annulment of the draconian Act — AIPPA — which the State has been using to progressively curtail independent journalism by bombing private newsrooms and arresting journalists, especially those working with or for private media houses.
At a time the mainstream press comprising both public and private news outlets is failing to serve local populations with information and news that inform their civic actions, 263Chat is one of the few independent media outlets working diligently to keep local journalism alive by producing content that speaks to local needs and realities in the capital — the country’s media pulse.
On this note, we call upon the civil society in Harare to give solidarity to 263Chat, chide cops and urge government to reprimand its security details so that events similar to the 263Chat office ‘bombing’ do not recur as the government authorities work towards opening up the media sphere which was shutdown during Mugabe’s four-decade long authoritarian. We urge the civil society to remind President Mnangagwa about his “open for business mantra” which must be seen in deeds that denote the willingness of the State to inculcate democratic values that include ensuring that the press is free.
Local news outlets are essential to democracy. We’ve written before about our passionate pre-occupation with local news in the south-western part of Zimbabwe — and how we continue to work tirelessly to strengthen local news and address news deserts in the wake of technological disruptions that presents immense opportunities for saving local journalism and serving local communities.
Although the State-sponsored attack of 263chat presents a gloomy picture of our local media landscape, we’re dedicated, in the midst of the crisis, to continue serving our local communities with news and information that encourages civic engagement and empowers ordinary citizens to keep those in power accountable at the local level.
As we part, we have a message to government authorities: DON’T KILL HYPER-LOCAL NEWS! WITHOUT LOCAL NEWS, DEMOCRACY DIES IN DARKNESS.
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