CABINET yesterday approved the Zimbabwe Media Policy which seeks to defend Zimbabwe’s image, sovereignty and territorial integrity, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services minister Jenfan Muswere has said.
During post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare yesterday, Muswere said the policy was expected to achieve a strong and converged digital economy.
He said the policy would promote the growth and development of a vibrant, diverse media industry in Zimbabwe and transform the country’s media landscape through the development of modern, efficient and sustainable infrastructure.
The policy, he said, would promote professionalism, capacitate the industry and develop and enforce a comprehensive code of ethics to raise the standards of media practice in Zimbabwe.
“The policy will also promote media viability and sustainability; nurture and instil national values, ethics and citizenship thereby promoting a shared understanding of Zimbabwe’s history, vision and developmental aspirations; advance and protect Zimbabwe’s national interests and promote the country’s social, economic, cultural and political well-being.
“The policy will assert and maintain Zimbabwe’s media sovereignty to ensure the country’s independence and self-determination in the production, dissemination and regulation of media content; foster a linguistically inclusive media landscape in Zimbabwe, where all officially recognised languages are valued, promoted and used to reach diverse audiences and communities; and govern the whole sector, including internet-based broadcasting.
“The sixth pillar of the policy, which is local content promotion, addresses challenges such as funding constraints, limited producer capacity, the dominance of foreign content and an inadequate regulatory framework”
Muswere said the policy would also promote local content and counter foreign dominance.
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“The policy maintains a 75% local content quota for all broadcasting licensees, except for specialised ones, which will have a 50% quota. The policy also introduces incentives for local content production, protection of intellectual property rights and enforcement of regulations limiting foreign content dominance.
“Additionally, the policy supports local cultural preservation, digital technology uptake and initiatives promoting employment, information dissemination and access to information,” he said.
Muswere said thematic working groups would be established to focus on specific policy pillars, with the ministry taking the lead in co-ordinating and implementing the policy.
