Govt encourages unregistered media organisations t...

Govt encourages unregistered media organisations to be compliant

Zim Now Writer

Government says it is open to plurality of media voices and will work with all players to ensure an open media scape as the country heads towards the 2023 general polls.

“The Government has opened up the publishing industry and it is exciting to see new players come up, said Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa in a speech read on her behalf by her deputy, Hon Kindness Paradza at the official launch of Zimbabwe Now in Harare yesterday.

The Minister said the establishment of Zim Now is an illustration of the regulatory and legal reforms in the media sector, adding that these have led to the proliferation of radio stations, TV stations, newspapers and digital news platforms.

“We have, through the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ), licensed 14 community radio stations, eight campus radio stations and six private television stations. Some of these are broadcasting live on air. This is part of government efforts to enhance access to information to the citizenry and give rural communities a platform to participate in the country’s development trajectory.”

The minister said the establishment and rapid growth of Zim Now which has managed to establish a regular a base of 45 000 regular users in over 100 countries shows that digital publishing is not about shadowy illegal operations hiding behind the internet to publish falsehoods and disinformation.

Zim Now which went live on 14 July has already made its presence felt at the industry awards presentation.

https://zimbabwenow.co.zw/articles/856/zim-now-announces-its-presence-with-a-win-at-njama

Government, according to Hon Paradza, has been pushing for gender equality in an open media space, and is happy with the addition of Zim Now managing partner Monica Cheru to the list of women in top positions in the media.