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Return of the Daily News: Hope for media freedom and plurality
Youth Forum
March 18, 2011

The Youth Forum welcomes the return of the Daily News - the vibrant independent daily newspaper that was forcibly closed down by the Zanu PF government back in 2004. We applaud its publishers for their show of resilience despite numerous assaults on their quest to see the paper returning to the streets.

We however urge the newspaper to be a cut above the rest and give more focus and space for the youth voice, noting very well that our country is a youthful nation where over half of the population is below 35 years of age. The Youth Forum notes with deep concern that young people continue to be pushed out of the mainstream processes that seek to bring about democracy and development in the country. Even where the future of this nation is discussed, it would be great surprise to see young people represented at such a forum. The norm is that the elderly gather and make decisions crucial to the youth on our behalf, often with results that have worked to undermine our democracy and retard national development.

It is also important for the publishers to note the role of today's youth which is gaining serious significance as evidenced by events in Egypt and Tunisia where there has been successful youthful revolts. The media can only ignore the role and issues of the youths at their own peril.

The Youth Forum has always contended that media freedom and plurality forms one of the pillars necessary for the transition of Zimbabwe into a genuinely open and democratic nation and is pivotal to the overall development of our country. The Forum has and continues to advocate and act towards ensuring that young people have access to information and that they are able to air their views without fear of retribution. We also urge all those media players who have so far been licensed by the Zimbabwe Media Commission to put paid to their quest for media plurality and start publishing their newspapers so that they aid in getting information vital for development to the grassroots communities who continue to be victims of a partisan media and suffer outright propaganda in the name of news.

The Youth Forum also calls on the Government of Zimbabwe to repeal all draconian laws that are working to retard media freedom and plurality. Top of the list is the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA). These should be replaced by more democratic laws that govern and regulate the work of the media without restricting and suppressing it as is the case with the two acts cited above.

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