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World
Press Freedom Day statement
Youth Forum
May 03, 2010
The Youth Forum
is pleased to join the local media fraternity, media practitioners
around the globe and all progressive persons around the world in
commemorating this year's World Press freedom day. The theme
for this year's commemorations is 'Freedom of Information:
the right to know'.
As we commemorate
this day in Zimbabwe, we take time to reflect on the state of the
media in Zimbabwe. Indeed there is nothing worth celebrating as
the media space in Zimbabwe continues to be a preserve of a few,
in particular Zanu PF which is in total control of the state broadcaster
and many other media houses in the country. This monopoly over the
media is severely crippling and stifling the long journey to democracy
in Zimbabwe, which started well before independence was won in 1980.
As the Youth
Forum we take this opportunity to reiterate
- The need
for government to open up the media space to accommodate new players.
- That the
newly constituted Zimbabwe Media Commission commence its work
forthwith and start the licensing of new players and re-registration
of media players who have been victims of repressive legislation
in the past.
- That government
move with haste to repeal repressive legislation such as the Access
to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and the
Broadcasting
Services Act (BSA). Such repressive legislation should be
replaced by more democratic laws that allow for a vibrant media,
commensurate with laws in other thriving democracies.
- That government
should also prioritize young people in rural and other marginalized
areas as they continue to be victims of an almost non-existent
and partisan media, which leaves them vulnerable to propaganda
and brainwashing by politicians.
We also urge
all media practitioners in the country to remain steadfast in their
profession in the face of all the harrassment, torture and killings
that continue to be perpetrated by those bent on stifling freedom
of the press and freedom to information in Zimbabwe as only a free
press and a vibrant media will bring about democracy in Zimbabwe.
Visit the Youth
Forum fact
sheet
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