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VMCZ statement on Minister Shamu's meeting with editors
Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe
July 13, 2012

The Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) notes with grave concern media reports that the Minister of Media, Information and Publicity Honourable Webster Shamu on Wednesday, 11th of July 2012 implored newspaper editors to demonstrate 'national pride' in their coverage of national leaders and national issues. The VMCZ is further concerned that Minister Shamu is reported to have apologised to Augur Investments representative, Mr. Ken Sharpe, who was also present at the meeting, for a story that appeared in the Daily News about the company's construction project in Borrowdale, Harare.

While it remains the prerogative of Minster Shamu to interact with media editors, as and when his office and the editors concerned freely do so, the VMCZ is concerned that the Minister chose such a platform to seek to insist on the media exercising 'national pride', when in effect the democratic role of the media is fundamentally that of working in the best and democratic public interest. This means that the role of the media is to report on all public matters freely, fairly, accurately and in a balanced manner.

Further to this, where the Minister has apologised on behalf of the media to a complainant, he has set a precarious and undemocratic precedent proposition to seek to have a media complaint resolved in a manner that is arbitrary and without requisite notice. The Minister would do well to be advised that media houses and editors have internal media complaints processing mechanisms and have all agreed to the VMCZ Media Code of Conduct. It is in this vein that the VMCZ humbly advises the Minister and his colleagues as well as principals in cabinet that complaints against the media or media stories can be amicably resolved through the VMCZ's Media Complaints Committee.

VMCZ also humbly urges any members of the public, inclusive of Mr Sharpe, that have any complaints about a published story to approach the newspaper editor of the relevant media publication. If they are not satisfied with the response of the editor or media house they are free to approach the VMCZ Media Complaints Committee with their grievance.

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