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State media downplaying levels of violence affecting the country
Extracted from Media Update 2008/22
Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ)
August 10, 2008

Apart from reporting the joint statement by ZANU PF and MDC negotiators admitting involvement in the orgy of political violence that rocked the country soon after the March 29 polls, as well as condemning and encouraging party supporters to shun it, the government Press did not carry any other reports related to the issue.

The statement formed part of concrete evidence that the parties had started to fulfil some of the preconditions of a 21 June Memorandum of Understanding paving way for full-fledged, power-sharing talks aimed at diffusing Zimbabwe's prolonged political impasse.

However, there appeared to be no grasp of this important development by the government media, which failed to make an implicit, categorical link between the two. Neither did they give an informed background on the causes of the violence and its implications on the talks. Rather, The Herald (7/8) attempted to trivialize the gravity of the violence by projecting it as mere scuffles. It simplistically noted: "After the March 29 elections and in the run-up to the June 27 presidential election run-off, supporters from both parties were involved in skirmishes that left some injured and homeless". Moreover, there was no reconciliation of the parties' latest positions with their previous persistent denials of their involvement in the violence.

Similarly, ZBC (6/8) simply regurgitated the joint statement, adding that the parties had also committed themselves to the welfare of displaced people without questioning how they intended to assist them. Neither did ZTV (6/8) interrogate how the parties' would ensure "fair application of the law regardless of political affiliation".

The national broadcaster carried seven stories on the topic.

Only the private media gave expression to the issue in 18 reports. For instance, the Independent presented the parties' statement admitting involvement in the violence as a "compromise" position reached after "bitter" arguments. It cited sources "close to the talks" as saying the MDC "insisted that ZANU PF was responsible for the majority of cases of political violence, while the ruling party said the opposition was also culpable".

Also a subject of "heated debate", said the sources, was how to deal with the perpetrators of the violence, adding: "The MDC wants them to be brought to book".

In addition, the private media reported the violence as still persisting despite the parties' condemnation of it.

They recorded six incidents, which mostly identified ZANU PF supporters as perpetrators and opposition members as victims. However, most of them lacked police corroboration.

Figs 1 and 2 show the sourcing patterns in the government and the private media.

Fig 1: Voice distribution in the official Press

Fig 2: Voice distribution in the private electronic media

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