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Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ)
Weekly Media Update 2006-16
Monday April 17^th 2006- Sunday April 23^rd 2006

THIS week the government media tried to downplay Zimbabwe’s pariah status by selectively reporting on positive comments on Zimbabwe by mainly African leaders to create the impression that the country still enjoys widespread international support despite efforts by Britain and its allies to isolate it.

The government Press carried 13 stories propagating this notion.

For example, The Sunday Mail (23/4) enthusiastically reported that Malawi had "stood its ground" and "snubbed" EU’s manoeuvres to have the country reverse naming a major road the union had funded its construction after President Mugabe.

It quoted Malawi Information Minister Patricia Kaliati justifying her government’s decision saying her country was a "sovereign state, fully entitled to choose its friends", adding that Zimbabwe and Malawi were "long time" friends, whose companionship would not be affected by "problems" Harare was having with "some countries".

Notably, plans by Malawi’s civic organisations to demonstrate against the decision to honour Mugabe were tucked inside the story and neither were they fully explored. Instead, the paper only used the Malawi government’s defence of its decision to assert President Mugabe’s "popularity", which it said continued to "to grow in Africa as he is seen as a "beacon of hope" for the continent".

In addition, the government papers (The Herald 20/4) also reported unquestioningly on glowing comments by visiting SADC ministers hailing Zimbabwe’s land reform programme as well as on French tourists who vowed "to market the country as an impressive tourism destination to their countrymen" (The Sunday Mail and Sunday News 23/4).

Earlier, The Herald and Chronicle (19/4) emphasised Botswana President Festus Mogae’s criticism of the West’s policy towards Zimbabwe without balancing it with the critical statements on Zimbabwe made by his guest, German President Horst Kohler.

Mogae was reported chastising the West for its "belligerent" stance towards Zimbabwe saying instead of condemning Mugabe, Europe and the US should engage Harare and "listen" to its "side of the story". Kohler’s concerns on Zimbabwe were only mentioned in passing.

And to give the impression that Harare was just an innocent victim of unwarranted Western vindictiveness, the paper then presented Britain and its allies as hardliners who were yet to reciprocate Mugabe’s magnanimous "gesture for dialogue".

Information Minister Tichaona Jokonya echoed similar views saying it was "up to (British Prime Minister) Tony Blair" to mend Britain’s relations with Zimbabwe, adding that he hoped that the two countries’ friendship would "significantly improve" if Britain Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown succeeds Blair because he was "no American puppet".

ZBH largely ignored these issues.

The official paper’s attempts to passively use such comments to spruce up Zimbabwe’s image resulted in these media giving more space to foreign voices in their stories as shown on Fig 1.

Fig 1 Voice distribution in the government Press

However the private media, illustrated by The Financial Gazette (20/4) and Zimbabwe Independent (21/4), revealed that contrary to the impression created by the official media, members of the international community were still very much concerned about the deteriorating situation in the country.

They reported Blair as having deplored the situation in Zimbabwe, describing Mugabe’s administration as a "disgrace" saying Britain has "had to give humanitarian assistance and food aid to people" a situation that could have been avoided "if the country were properly run".

In addition, the papers quoted IMF chief executive officer Rodrigo Rato also expressing his concerns over Zimbabwe revealing that he had advised government to "improve its human rights record" if its attempts to revive the economy were to succeed.

The private Press’ sourcing pattern is shown on Fig 2.

Fig 2 Voice distribution in the private Press

In contrast, almost all the foreign voices were quoted condemning Zimbabwe.

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