Paul Pindani in KARIBA
THE Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) has called on media organisations to be professional in their reporting on the upcoming elections.
Speaking at a Media and Elections Reporting Training Workshop in Kariba, ZMC vice-chairman, Jasper Maposa, stated that it was the media’s responsibility to create a peaceful environment for holding the elections and that it should respect cardinal principles of the profession, such as being objective, accurate, fair and factual.
The workshop also aimed to familiarise the participants with election laws and regulations, enhance the safety of journalists during the election, and promote mutual understanding between the media and law enforcement agencies.
“In line with this constitutional mandate and informed by its strategic plan for 2023, the ZMC is taking deliberate steps and ensuring that the media plays its expected and important role in the upcoming elections,” said Maposa.
Victor Shale of Shalestone Election and Governance Consultants, which works all over the continent, said media freedom and access to information are things that some people on the continent can only dream of.
He urged the media to extract maximum value from such workshops.
“There are countries where we don’t ever dream of suggesting to have an event like this.
“So, for you to be gathered like this and be prepared to cover a national event is something we should really cherish.
“Sometimes you don’t realise what you have until you don’t have it,” Shale said.