The Poverty Of The Zimbabwean Media

"Journalism is printing what someone else does not want to be printed. Everything else is public relations" George Owell. However what George Orwell forgot to ask himself or those who believe in this quotation is how can this unwanted printed information improve the Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal structures of society rather than worsen it or make it rift apart. In Zimbabwe we have come to realize the poverty, misinforming agenda, polarization and pro-ZANU PF agenda of the state media, The Herald. Not only the state media polarization but the ignorance, malnutrition and war journalism of the private media with a pro-opposition agenda. Which feeds out information that is ignorant and does not improve the Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal structures but rather worsens them with its war journalism. The correct and adequate sentence to define the Zimbabwean state and private media is " bad and poor journalism ethics".

Journalism ethics demand that journalists and media organizations be objective. To see all two sides or views of the story. The Zimbabwean state media, The Herald defies these journalism ethics, goes against them and hence becomes subjective. The Herald has chosen the ZANU PF side, whereby journalism ethics demand journalists and media corporations not to choose sides or to be partisan. Hence we see poor journalism ethics in The Herald. By choosing the ZANU PF side, The Herald becomes anti-MDC -T, anti-opposition media which reveals it to be subjective. Just poor journalism ethics of the state media. It is no secret that the state is ZANU PF and the state media is pro-ZANU PF. The state media, The Herald is pro-ZANU PF from head to toe, inside and outside. The praises of ZANU PF in The Herald are just too appalling. The Herald doesn't give any blemish to ZANU PF, no faults and wrongs. This is a reflection of poor journalism by the state media. The wrongs of ZANU -PF are printed in a color that blames the opposition and the West, yet it's ZANU PF that's in charge. Their rate of pro-ZANU PF is so misinforming and disgusting. Hence there is no journalism ethics within the Herald but poverty.

The Herald is a public relations department of ZANU -PF. Hence the information within that newspaper doesn't improve the Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Economical and Legal structures of a deteriorating country. Of late or for over a month now, The Herald has been setting the agenda of the ZANU-PF youth interface rallies, and also a previous article of the divorce or potential divorce of Morgan Tsvangirai and Elizabeth Macheka about 3 years to 4 years ago, such rubbish of a media news organization. How do the youth interface rallies being shouted out by ZANU PF state media, The Herald improve the Political, Social, Economical, Technological, Environmental and Legal structures of a deteriorating country? 

It doesn't. The recent Bindura youth interface rally showed a destabilizing political structure of ZANU-PF as the rift between" Lacoste and G-40" worsened. Most of the youth interface rallies have not addressed the deteriorating situation on the ground but The Herald says otherwise, just a pro-ZANU-PF agenda of false progression. Another set of information The Herald has given in the past which improved nothing during a declining economy was the myth of MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai and his wife Elizabeth Macheka's divorce. This shows the amount of rubbish that The Herald has published and will continue publishing due to poor journalism ethics and subjectivity.

The ZANU -PF state-owned media, The Herald shows a very high level of poor journalism by giving a false reality of the situation on the ground. Journalism ethics state journalists and media practitioners to be truthful, accurate and objective. Yet we see the false reality of the ZANU -PF propaganda machine, The Herald imposes a picture of a booming economy, a so-called "successful command agriculture "scheme and no political instability. The highest level of poor journalism by the Zimbabwean mainstream media. The Herald does not effectively tackle the hard-hitting issues of political instability within ZANU -PF, hence it terms it a myth of factionalism within ZANU-PF or addresses it in poor journalism under the fear of their subjective editors and ZANU -PF political -capitalists. The false reality of command agriculture, the success of a fake currency the bond note and political stability are some of the traits of the poor journalism in the Zimbabwean state media, The Herald. These are the issues that are sugar-coated and are all in smoking mirrors showing poor journalism ethics by The Herald. For nothing but pro-ZANU-PF nonsensical information is in that poor newspaper and a lapdog of a news media organization.

Poor journalism ethics are at the highest level. The Herald does not publish what is in public interest in time or even what is in the public interest, yet it claims to be for the people and the democracy. WHY WON'T IT PUBLISH THE SUCCESSION ISSUE, ON WHOSE NEXT IN LINE TO LEAD ZANU-PF THATS PUBLIC INTEREST? The Herald pushes the ZANU-PF -political-capitalists' interests into the public and then molds it into public interest. How poor and meager of a media organization to be a lap dog just like its opposition media organization. ZANU -PF youth secretary, Kudzanai Chipanga stated that the His Excellency President Robert G. Mugabe will name his successor when he wants or even on the road to the 2023 elections. This is the kind of news and rubbish information The Herald dishes out.2022!!.A question within the public interest and answered out of public interest quo by the state media. Hence it is answered from a polarized political-capitalistic point of view  

which disappoints the public hence serving out of public interest, no critical awareness of a poor state media that claims to serve the public interest but only serves the political-capitalistic interest.

The media is to be free, a free media that is not controlled by banks, corporates, capitalists and politicians is true media. 

The Herald is not a free media, it once was but it is not now. The Herald holds no media freedom whatsoever except when degrading the opposition. Anything addressing the real issues which they do not consider to be pro-ZANU-PF news and information is quickly criticized by The Herald though it is true to some extent, the truth hurts. This is due to its poor journalism ethics and political-capitalistic influence. The Herald holds no media freedom to publish top ZANU-PF corruption scandals, misconduct, factionalism or the recent First Lady Dr. Grace Mugabe and Gabriella Engels rift. It could not publish this hence Grace Mugabe being the First Lady and amongst the top political-capitalistic elites in the ZANU -PF-owned media. Failing to criticize the first lady's actions of assaulting the South-African model due to fear or political capitalization of the Herald media. Either of the two is just bad journalism ethics and poverty of a high stake of The Herald media. What type of media is The Herald, and what type of dog is it, the watchdog or the lapdog? It is both a watchdog of the opposition and a lapdog of ZANU-PF.

The poverty of journalism ethics in the Herald ZANU-PF state-owned media is capable of providing information that does not build but divides. Does not build the Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal structures of a country spiraling down. For example, the focus on the colonial era and the war of liberation was a phase that came and went. It does not need to be re-repeated, for this information cannot improve the political structure of a divided ZANU-PF or of a dynasty of governed democracy, a falling economy with poor production crisis and a divided country in terms of social class and ethnicity. Such information is not in the public interest for what is in the public interest is how the economic crisis of poor production could be improved to ouster the cash shortages not a colonial-era story of some comrade with no valuable news and information whatsoever.

Poor, poor, poor, poor, HERALD.

The private media being an opposition does not make it a liberal media, a free media, or an objective media. The private media is under the curse of political -capitalization influence just like the public state media. The private media in Zimbabwe be it The Daily News, Newsday, The Zimbabwean Independent or any other private media are not free but just anti-ZANU -PF government and pro-opposition in the name of capitalism making it ignorant and its information not good for consumption.

The private media is in it for the money and not to offer public service. Making it dangerously capitalistic. This is the same curse of capitalization or political influence of their opposition to the state media. The private media is tied in capitalistic chains and cannot be objective due to certain interests of the owner, a private capitalist, or an Opposition politician. They are even capable of creating war journalism to meet their high stake profits. The freedom or liberty of the private media is all smoking mirrors by capitalism. The capitalism of the private media is capable of making a profit at the expense of a false political story just to up the sales hence this information by the private media organization or anti-state media should be taken with a pinch of salt or ignored, for they are in it for the money and if destroying Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal structures for the profit they will. Therefore the Zimbabwean private media information is capitalistic not social or democratic hence is capable of destroying the structures of a country.

The Zimbabwean private media or anti-Herald-state media is pro-opposition head to toe. One of the articles in these libelous and treasonous private media newspapers considered that ZANU-PF was disastrous, corrupt, and failed to develop Zimbabwe from day one. This is a lie, misinforming does not improve Political, Economical, Social, Environmental, Technological, and Legal structures, instead, it destabilizes these 6 KEY structures. They are pro-opposition and anti-ZANU-PF, and their agenda is ignorant, for their criticism of ZANU-PF outweighs their compliments making the private capitalistic media a victim of poor journalism ethics, and an ignorant attitude just like their vices the state-owned media. Some of the articles like First Lady Grace Mugabe and Gabriella Engels's situation tabloid news or infotainment. For such does not improve the Political, Economical, Social, Environmental, Technological and Legal structures. For it was war journalism that worsened Zimbabwe -South Africa relations, and showed an unstable legal structure. The private media are war journalists and this is not ethical but ignorant of war journalism ethics they claim they are aware.

Poor Journalism ethics, bad principles, and ignorant views are obtained by the private media 

. For the private media shows one view, tells one side of the story, that the opposition is the way to prosperity, the truth that the pro-ZANU-PF government does not show you. Hence they leave out the strains or the fault of dictatorship within the opposition of the MDC-T and its so-called alliances under the Memorandum Of Understanding (M.O.U.) Morgan Tsvangirai wanted and pursued to lead the coalition just like how he "democratically" dictated to remain at the helm of top executive powers of the opposition. Are the pro-MDC-T media aware that the MDC-T has a greater role in the sanctions deployed on Zimbabwe and the crisis we face? Even if they are they will not and shall not publish it due to MDC-T and pro-opposition political capitalism in those private media entities. The private media paint His Excellency President Robert Mugabe to be a dictator and Morgan Tsvangirai as the democratic one. It is all smoking mirrors implied by the private media

.Just like Morgan Tsvangirai and the opposition want President Robert Mugabe to go, they should also go for their ineffectiveness is appalling. Just stayed too long for no reason. Morgan Tsvangirai is a dictator covering himself in the name of democracy, which the private media do not tell you or inform you. What's the need for 3 Vice presidents in opposition? The poverty of journalism and ignorance within the private media under the curse of capitalism which is probably sponsored by the pro-MDC-T and anti-ZANU-PF capitalists shows poor journalism ethics and subjectivity.

There is also ignorance of the private media to journalism ethics and poverty of what is news. Some information within the private media does not improve the state's key structures. Instead, it worsens an already deteriorating situation in a country. For example, a headline was carried in the private media of Doctor Ignatius Chombos's divorce and the property he lost or was to lose alongside a recent article in the private press about an army general's divorce. The question to the private media is how is this news? Yes it is new but how can it improve our deteriorating country, no it cannot. The private media's capitalistic influence to get more sales leads to it creating infotainment and tabloid news to push as well increase sales. Showing how private media capitalization has overstepped and punched down journalism ethics of truth, transparency, and value for the love of profit and money. The private media's pursuit of the Zodwa Wabantu and the First Lady Grace Mugabe -Gabriela Engels scandal is just far from the news, if it falls under news it should be in under the entertainment sector not on the front page of the private newspaper for it develops nothing but worsens Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal structures.

Such bad media publicity at the hands of capitalistic private media just to make an extra penny showed the ignorant, war journalism, and poor ethics of the Zimbabwean Private media. The anti-ZANU-PF agenda of the capitalistic private media is just bad and poor journalism. The rate of ZANU -PF corruption scandals and making the opposition be labeled corruption free is just poor journalism. Is the capitalistic private media informing us that the power the MDC-T holds and once held has never been used for top corruption scandals at the executive level? MDC-T is corrupt, for power corrupts,and the capitalistic pro-MDC-T private media does not inform you, of a high level of poor journalism, ignorant journalism, war journalism and the curse of capitalism from the private media.

Instead of playing a development journalism role, the private media are war journalists or a raging

war media. The private media being pro-opposition and anti-ZANU -PF government are destabilizing solutions given by the government to solve the crisis within the country, the reason being the solution came from ZANU-PF which they are anti. Command Agriculture, ZIMASSET and the indigenization policies were put in place by the ZANU-PF government to make a shattered economy victimized by a production crisis be able to stand after a blow by the MDC-T foreign backup and terror squad. But the anti-ZANU-PF capitalistic media printed it to be a failure to a larger extent and a success to their opposition to the ruling party. This was not the case, for these policies had their benefits and progress for the citizens who pushed themselves towards these policies. Which is the reason why the country has not completely crumbled.

To conclude the ZANU-PF state-owned media The Herald and the pro-opposition, biased capitalistic media should disseminate from misinforming and their poor journalism ethics of informing the public "with the news " that is polarized and does not improve Political, Economical, Social,

Technological, Environmental and Legal Structures. THE MEDIA SHOULD STOP GIVING A FALSE REALITY AND MISLEADING TO THE POINT WHEREBY THE PUBLIC MISS SLEEP.