Zimbabwe
SECTOR 2:
2.1

The media landscape is characterised by diversity,
independence and sustainability.

A wide range of sources of information (print,
broadcasting, internet) is available and affordable to
citizens.

ANALYSIS:
While in rural areas there are some information sources available,
it should however be noted that accessing them is difficult because
there is no distribution of print media, poor television reception
and hardly any Internet access. The situation in urban areas seems
to be better.
Print media:
Generally, there is a wide range of print media available which include the state-owned The Herald, The Sunday Mail, The Sunday
News (Bulawayo-based), The Chronicle (Bulawayo-based), The
Manica Post (Mutare-based) and Gweru Times. The Daily Mirror and
the Sunday Mirror are owned by an academic aligned to the ruling
party. The Financial Gazette is said to be owned by the governor of
the Reserve Bank. The weeklies The Standard and The Zimbabwe
Independent are privately owned. The Voice (presently defunct) is a
publication of the Information Department of the ruling ZANU (PF),
The Worker is published by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions
and The Agenda by the National Constitutional Assembly- which are
becoming more and more expensive to publish. Other periodicals
are lifestyle papers Trends, En Vogue and other specialised publications, e.g. soccer magazines.
At its peak in 1981, when it was perceived as quite independent under the editorship of Willie Musarurwa, The Sunday Mail ran 400 000
copies. The Daily News at its peak had 60 – 100 000 copies while the
Herald averages 60 000 copies. On average 5 people read one copy
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African Media Barometer - Zimbabwe 2006

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