Media professionalism and regulation Zimbabwe’s media, comprising state-owned, private, and community media, campus radio stations, and freelance journalists, committed themselves to the highest ethical standards in covering the 2023 elections. Media advocacy groups and academics also appended their signatures to the Harmonised Elections Media Code of Conduct Pledge 2023 in Bulawayo on August 10, 2023. The media also pledged to uphold the highest professional standards of impartiality, credibility, and integrity in their coverage of the elections. Media stakeholders endorsed the Pledge as one of the most progressive steps, committing the media to self-regulate and keep itself in check on how it is performing in terms of its own set standards. Resultantly, election observer mission reports after the 2023 harmonised elections noted some improvement in the coverage of the plebiscite compared to the previous elections in 2018. Meanwhile, MISA Zimbabwe is encouraged by the inclusion in 2023 of the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) Amendment Bill and Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill in the legislative agenda of the 10th Session of Zimbabwe’s Parliament. The ZMC Bill is expected to usher in the principle of media co-regulation, as generally agreed to by the media industry. The proposed professional media body would be the first entry point for filing complaints against the media, while the constitutional regulatory body, Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC), would be an appellant body. It is hoped the resultant broadcasting law and regulatory framework will be in line with the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the African Charter on Broadcasting and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Declaration on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information and African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms, among other instruments that set democratic principles and standards on regulation while stimulating growth and sustainability of the broadcasting industry. The proposed broadcasting law must also address the issue of lack of diversity in ownership of broadcasting services. MISA Zimbabwe urges the government to be open to further engagements, concessions, and changes to the Bill based on stakeholder and public input into the law-making process. 9