Another year of excellence!

iwOULD like to congratulate Alpha media Holdings’ News Day team for their hard work; perseverance and determination which have helped them excel for the past 10 years.

The daily newspaper has played a pivotal role in diversifying Zimbabwe’s media space which before its introduction was highly polarised.

The paper brought with it a middle of the road appeal that helped ease the tension in a politically-charged environment.

This is evidenced by how the paper has been able to conduct itself in covering critical democratic processes.

in the run-up to the 2013 and 2018 elections, the paper managed to distinguish itself from its peers by focusing on covering the electoral process than being fixated on personalities.

The publication has also been a trailblazer in covering social issues.

in a research conducted by media monitors in 2016 titled Reporting Poverty in Zimbabwe, the paper topped daily newspapers in the coverage of poverty-related issues.

The paper’s human interest focus has endeared it with the Zimbabwean public as it has grown to become one of the country’s top daily newspapers.

A media landscape survey conducted by media monitors in 2019 showed that the paper has an extensive readership as it is distributed in 42 of the country’s 59 districts.

Achieving this feat in just 10 years of existence is remarkable and is a testament to the paper’s commitment to keeping Zimbabwean citizens informed.

Over the years, NewsDay has improved in its representation of marginalised groups who include women, youths and people living with disabilities.

media monitors observed that commendable efforts have been made to promote inclusivity.

Over the 10-year course of NewsDay’s existence, women’s voices in the publication have improved both quantitatively and qualitatively.

women’s voices have been incorporated into reports on governance and the economy which have a larger bearing on the country’s wellbeing.

it should, however, be noted that more needs to be done to ensure gender parity in media reports.

i hope that as the publication soars to greater heights, it maintains journalistic excellence in its reporting.

i encourage you to remain impartial and professional as you report the Zimbabwean story.

Once again, congratulations to the NewsDay team on reaching this grand milestone! may you continue to soldier on in these harsh economic times.

Patience Zirimais director for Media Monitors