outlets resort to retrenchments to remain sustainably afloat. The political and legal situation in Malawi and Tanzania, for example, has seen several organisations being forced to shut down as well. This dual accreditation and the fees in question can deter media practitioners from undertaking their work without any fear of harassment, exclusion, arrest, and detention while covering the elections. As Zimbabwe prepares for the 2023 elections, dual accreditation should, therefore not be a deterrent for the media to effectively play its role in information dissemination which is critical for citizens to access election-related information for them to make informed decisions and choices. Media government relations The Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services continued to live up to its opendoor policy adage by continuously engaging with key stakeholders, among them MISA Zimbabwe, more so in the context of the ongoing media law reform process. Among the key notable events during the year under review, was the convening of the Writeshops on the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill and the Draft Zimbabwe Media Practitioners Bill during which media stakeholders had the opportunity to input into the two proposed laws. The proposed amendments to the archaic Broadcasting Services Act were tabled for consideration during a law drafting workshop (Writeshop) held in the Midlands capital of Gweru on 18 and 19 May 2022. A similar exercise was conducted in Kadoma on the Draft Zimbabwe Media Practitioners Bill on 11 -12 August 2022. During the year under review, the Ministry of Information was also proactive in giving updates pertaining to progress on the media law reform processes through the Minister, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, her deputy, Honourable Kindness Paradza and Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana. On the media practitioners’ Bill, Honourable Paradza said the proposed law would go a long way in empowering journalists in the country. Media practitioners and stakeholders drafted the Bill, which was shared with parliament, government and the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC). Meanwhile, the barring of journalists from the privately owned NewsDay from covering important national events during the year under review was of great concern. In an editorial in its edition of Friday, 25 November 2022, the daily posed the question: What crime did we commit as NewsDay? This followed a series of events that saw its journalists being barred from covering a national event at State House, including the ruling Zanu PF’s elective congress held in October 2022. On 24 November 2022, the paper again reported that its reporters were barred from covering State of the Media Report 9