Television ZBC TV staunchly dominated viewership in November 2019 reaching 61% of the respondents thus being ranked the first. It was trailed by SABC1 and eTV at positions 2 and 3 respectively8. However, both Satellite and Analogue have very limited access - this is due to low coverage and reception. In addition, the cost of television sets and power shortages remains an inhibitor. However, there are enclaves of the rural elite with access that end up feeding information into traditional or social media9. More so, extra-terrestrial broadcasting is accessed in borderline areas - this couples with linkages of linguistic and cultural norms between communities near the border on both sides. It has limitations of urban bias, political capture, lopsided reporting and poor infrastructure as is the case with radio. New media • The most visible form of new media on the rural landscape are WhatsApp, Facebook, SMSs and voice calls (mobile) - this has given rise to citizen journalism and space for communities to create / produce their own content. • According to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) Postal and Telecommunications Sector Performance Report, third quarter of 2021, Zimbabwe’s active mobile subscribers increased by 3.4% to record 13.9 million in the third quarter of 2021, from 13.5 million recorded in the second quarter of 2021. The mobile penetration rate increased by 2.2% to reach 93.5% from 91.3% recorded in the second quarter of 2021. Secondly, the total number of active Internet and data subscriptions increased by 1.2% to reach 9.3 million in the third quarter of 2021 from 9.2 million recorded in the previous quarter. The Internet penetration rate increased by 0.3% to reach 62.6% from 62.3% recorded in the previous quarter. Thirdly, that same report revealed that mobile Internet and data traffic increased by 10.4% to record 25,882TB in the third quarter of 2021 from 23,436TB in the second quarter of 202110. • However, they also face challenges of limited coverage due to poor signal or infrastructure deficit, high cost of data and airtime and also access to compatible gadgets (smartphones). CICs are meant to address these challenges by providing communities with computers and data in order to access the internet. There is lack of baseline information on depth, growth, breadth, scope, reach and quantum of influence of the new media. Its proliferation has also given rise to fake news, creating challenges for credibility of information 11 . Traditional • Traditional media remains the anchor of access to information in rural communities - it retains currency as it is largely integrated within the socio-economic dynamics of rural communities. It plays a dual role of receiving and creating information and therefore, presents an opportunity for communities to influence content production. In addition, it is heavily integrated with other sources of media noted above. However, it faces the challenge of regimentation largely for political ends. It is also very prone to distortion and manipulation of information by competing political interests12. 8 GeoPoll Media Establishment Survey Zimbabwe Report. Available at: https://internews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GeoPoll_Media_Establishment_Survey_Zimbabwe.pdf 9 MISA-Zim, (2020) Access to media and media usage in rural communities of Zimbabwe – Final Report. 10 POTRAZ. (2021) Abridged Postal and Telecommunications Sector Performance Report, Third Quarter 2021. 11 MISA-Zim, (2020) Access to media and media usage in rural communities of Zimbabwe – Final Report 12 Ibid. 4 MISA Zimbabwe • The State of Access and Use of Community Information Centres (CICs) in Zimbabwe