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VMCZ congratulatory statement to Alpha Media Holdings on the appointment of a Public Ombudsman
Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe
February 23, 2012

The Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) would like to congratulate Alpha Media Holdings for appointing, Retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice Ahmed Ebrahim, as its Public Ombudsman.

The move by Alpha Media Holdings to appoint an internal Public Ombudsman is best professional and democratic media self regulation practice the world over. In this particular instance, the VMCZ is confident that readers and consumers of all Alpha Media Holding products will have an internal redress mechanism whenever they feel aggrieved by any media story from the same media house.

VMCZ is also of the considered view that the step taken by Alpha Media Holdings will enhance professionalism and ethical conduct among its journalists through giving members of the public a platform to raise grievances on stories that they are not happy with internally before seeking redress with VMCZ.

VMCZ supports efforts for internal mechanisms to handle complaints, as articulated in the VMCZ Constitution where members of the public are always encouraged to exhaust internal media complaints adjudication mechanisms within the media houses, before approaching VMCZ.

The VMCZ will be available to handle referral cases from newspapers where consensus has not been reached.

The VMCZ will remain committed to working with internal Public Ombudsman in enhancing high professional standards in the media and place emphasis on the need to establish ethical standards in the media in order to build models of accountability as well as effective self-regulation for journalists.

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