‘Zim’s international engagement, re-engagement drive reaps fruits’
ZIMBABWE’S international engagement and re-engagement drive is reaping fruits since relations with former opponents are softening following positive publicity of the country by the media.
Speaking at the ZBC strategic planning and review workshop held at a local hotel on Wednesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, whose speech was read on his behalf by chief director in his ministry, Mr Jonathan Gandari, said the development is enough testimony that the media is a vehicle for development.
“As you are aware, our country’s international engagement and re-engagement drive is reaping benefits since relations with former adversaries are thawing following positive publicity of the country by the media.
“This is a testimony that the media is a vehicle for development, and it should also bring people together, especially now as we march towards attaining an upper-middle income society by the Year 2030.
“This strategic planning workshop is critical for the national broadcaster which is mandated to build the country’s image as espoused in the National Development Strategy (NDS1),” he said.
He said ZBC as a public broadcaster is required to provide content for a wide spectrum of viewers and listeners with the campus of the programming preserving family values and protecting children from harmful programming.
“Family values are important because they are the glue that holds a family and the nation together. Loyalty, sense of duty, respect for one another and perseverance contribute to a sense of nation building.
“Throughout all this, the importance of ethics and fact-checking should remain the anchor of your journalism. It is not a secret that the ZBC has a major role to play towards achieving Vision 2030. You are expected to help the economy grow by creating confidence in the market.
“You are expected do this through the dissemination of accurate knowledge that will form the key foundation for investment decisions. For Zimbabwe to grow its economy, there is need for a strong and responsible public media,” said Dr Muswere.
He added: “Digital transformation has also challenged traditional business models. Now consumers are exercising greater choice about what content to consume and how.
“Equally, the ease of disseminating fake news has been a severe blow to the level of trust that people have in what they read, watch or hear. The temptation is to shift towards quantity over quality. This path will see those stimulating discussions getting fewer and fewer. In short, ZBC must be flexible so that it can evolve with changing trends and technology.”
He commended the broadcasting company for embarking on digitization of their studios.
“I know that ZBC is alive to the reality that one of the drivers of change within the industry is digital transformation which has brought innovation and competition in the sector. This is why you have embarked on digitization of your studios. This is commendable.
“However, digitization of infrastructure is one piece of the project. Another piece is digitization of the content. The ZBC has a rich archives heritage that will add value to the nation if digitised,” said Dr Muswere.