Some of 50 Namibian journalists protest 18 January 2002 in Windhoek against Zimbabwe's clampdown on press freedom and human rights.
JOHANNESBURG – Zimbabwean journalists are hoping for media freedom reforms under President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Editors and senior journalists gathered in Harare this weekend to figure out their role in the new dispensation.
Over the last two decades, press freedom has been supressed in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwean journalists have been regrouping, trying to forge a way forward in the wake of leadership changes in the country.
Journalists have gathered under the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe, to analyse the new operating environment.
Media Expert, Takura Zhangazha says, "Media must quickly regain public trust , its professionally and democratic obligation. This applies across the body if you work for ZBC or other state owned media outlets , you still have an obligation to be professionally and gain public trust , not just on celebrity news but also hard news and also to tell your media owners, that no our editorial independent is paramount to importance otherwise will have repeat of media capture."
Under President Robert Mugabe, the state enforced the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act to supress media freedom.
Patience Zirima from the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe says, "I think analysis is something which we take for granted , I believe analysis is a skill that can be built over time but it requires news rooms actually to invest in terms of building capacity to analysis."
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Journalists who defied the government risked being killed, arrested, banished and brutalised.
That is why many journalists were initially fearful when the army took control of government institutions during the transition to change.
"When the soldiers went on TV that morning and they said report responsible that set a tone for all other events, the courts and everything. That message wasn’t really for just you as journalists. I am pretty sure and if you look through that statements there were warns to other security arms as well," Veteran Journalist Ranga Mberi said.
Zimbabwean journalists are hopeful that the country&39;s draconian and rigid media laws will be relaxed.
