lack of means and processes to file such reports.

most powerful influencers in the country.

The rise of new technologies such as the
internet and social media has also seen an
increase in what has been defined as online
gender based violence or ICT-enabled gender
based violence.

This influence has come with scrutiny and
surveillance from public authorities who have
not hesitated to arrest these content creators
using the Cyber and Data Protection Act.

Women journalists, activists and politicians
have been especially targeted to prevent them
from sharing their opinions on pertinent issues
that affect Zimbabwe as a community.
These attacks take on misogynistic, aggressive
and even violent undertones. What makes the
effort to end online attacks on women more
difficult is defining online harassment.
This has made monitoring, documenting and
reporting online gender-based violence an
onerous task.
Regarding the issue of inclusion and diversity
Afrobarometer 2020 states that It is common
to have other voices speak “on behalf of”
minorities, but the minorities themselves are
not heard.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex
and queer (LGBTIQ) issues are never positively
covered (specifically by the ZBC).
Due mainly to comments that have been made
on LGBTIQ issues by the former president, this
community continues “suffering in silence.” As
they are continuously stereotyped which has
fuelled discrimination.(15)

CONTENT CREATORS
Zimbabwe has experienced a significant
growth of an active online community which has
been sustained by a growing crop of content
producers who keep their audiences busy.
This notion is supported by Chirimambowa and
Chimedza (2022) who note that, concomitant
to these rising statistics on social media in
Zimbabwe has been the exponential growth
of new media operations such as Bustop TV,
Magamba TV, CITE (Centre for Innovation
and Technology), Big Saturday Read, Gravitas
Bulletin, NewZimbabwe, Nehanda Radio and TV,
Comic Pastor and @263 Chat, among others.
These platforms continue to grow in influence
and following with notable personalities like
Trevor Ncube — Alpha Media Holdings Publisher
— has 39,000 followers on his YouTube channel,
while journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has 585,977
followers on Twitter placing them among the

JOURNALISTS FROM RURAL
COMMUNITIES
In the past two years, Zimbabwe has licensed
14 community radio stations and campus radio
stations.
These stations are predominantly in small
towns and rural areas, covering districts where
there are minority languages. As of February
2023, only six of the community radio stations
had started broadcasting.
The community radio stations were opened
with the support of UNESCO and influence from
the government.
In most cases, the radio stations do not have
qualified personnel, with most of them being
manned by unpaid volunteers.
This calls into question the sustainability of
their operations and could be the reason why
only a few have come on air.
As per law, community radio stations are not
allowed to run commercial advertising, with
their revenues coming from the communities in
which they operate.
With this model, it is unlikely that community
radio stations will be able to sustain their
operations for long.
There is need to rethink the model and also
find ways in which they can raise money.
Zimbabwe’s mainstream media is mainly urban
centric, with the bigger media houses able to
deploy stringers or correspondents in small
towns and rural areas.
The correspondents are generally poorly paid
and have no access to pensions or health
insurance.
This leaves them at the mercy of corporates
or politicians who are able to bribe them with
freebies such as free fuel or transport to events
and stipends for reporting on their events.
In addition, because correspondents from
small towns barely have the support of the
company, they are vulnerable to lawsuits and

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