Key Points
- Citizen journalists expose corruption and mismanagement through grassroots reporting.
- Social media platforms amplify marginalized voices in Zimbabwe’s media.
- Digital tools make news more accessible despite government censorship.
Citizen journalism has assumed the role of a transformative practice that transforms the production, distribution and consumption of knowledge. This is assisting ordinary citizens in Zimbabwe make news reports, despite the background of a media under traditional governmental control and past suppression.
This has thoroughly emerged as a grass-root movement because of the technology and social networking sites, and has initiated noticeable shifts in the media systems of the nation and in turn has provided new opportunities, challenges and impacts on democracy, freedom of speech, and accountability.
Background: Media scene of Zimbabwe
In the context of media scene in Zimbabwe therefore, we find that ‘the citizen journalism’ has emerged as an agent of transformation of not only the media, production, dissemination and consumption but also of knowledge. As stated previously, technology is giving power to ordinary citizens of Zimbabwe to directly contribute to news making in the backdrop of a media which is still largely traditional, under the dictatorship of the government and suppression. By State control and repressive laws have for a long time now been the order of the media environment in Zimbabwe.
The government has for a long time maintained a strict censorship on traditional communication media such as newspapers, radio and television. Journalism has for a long time been reduced by laws such as Broadcasting Services Act (BSA) and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), which has in turn limited effective journalism, hence promoting a society of ‘self-censorship’.
Traditional media which is widely accessed by this limited surroundings have had their credibility eroded as many Zimbabweans regard state media as mouthpiece of the government. Independent media has been harassed, arrested, shut down. This role has been filled by citizen journalism as a source of many voices, grassroots reporting and un-tempered views.
The advancements and social networks, this grass-root movement has initiated significant alterations in the media structure of the nation, thus creating novel options, challenges and result for democracy, freedom of speech, and accountability.
The role of technology
According to Wits centre, citizen journalism in Zimbabwe is most directly connected with technology as its subject matter. This is because more people are equipped with reasonably priced cellphones and improved, accessible internet – particularly mobile internet. Presently, knowledge dissemination can hardly be effected without involving the social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube among others.
These technologies enable people record events as they happen thus denying conventional media monopolized distribution of genuine events.
Indeed, in environments such as Zimbabwe where internet is limited hence the reliance on WhatsApp for news sharing, the role of mobile apps has been particularly pronounced. An essential tool for building news networks, WhatsApp groups are the main hub for news, community discussions, and the sharing of citizen-generated content.
Citizen journalism as a vehicle for responsibilities
One of the significant impacts indicates how citizen journalism brings power to accountability in Zimbabwe. Self employed journalists have acted as an important source of information in a country that conventional media sometimes fails to report government malfeasance and human rights violations.
As stated by Myzimbabwe, through the use videos, photos and eye-witnessing stories they have demonstrated the police brutality, police corruption, and government ineptness, thus provoking national and international discourses.
For instance, citizen reporters are important in documenting state brutalities and mobilization for such protest actions as #This Flag protests in 2016 and #ZimShutDown protests in 2019. Local viewers saw ordinary people’s images and videos on social media as main images and videos and so did the viewers from other parts of the world.
Democratizing media and emphasizing underprivileged stories
Firstly, through empowering the underprivileged groups citizen journalism has opened media space in Zimbabwe. People in rural areas are using their cameras to cover conditions of hospitals, lack of infrastructure and poor environment in a country where such incidences might not be reported by conventional reporters. This has brought out stories that might not get the chance to be aired a necessity for making the media a more inclusive one.
Two of the targeted demographics that are generally not depicted in mainstream media include women and youths, the latter is also using citizen journalism. Approximately their opinions and experience while interacting by the means of the Internet assists them in challenging Patriarchal norms, young power, and gender equality.
Difficulties Affecting Citizen Journalism in Zimbabwe
Firstly, citizen journalism in Zimbabwe has sundry challenges even though it holds transformative potential.
Surprisingly, due to the lack of professional training among the citizen reporters sometimes there are mistakes or wrong information is passed. This viral material can enhance the falsity of new or rumors hence erasing the credibility of the entire citizen journalism.
The situation in which citizen reporters work is one of great danger. In response to negative coverage by the media the government of the affected country has arrested, harassed and used force. Through laws such as the Cyber and Data Protection Act, the government seeks to ensure that social media users adhere to certain laws; courtesy of surveillance and censorship.
While there are people who underwent change according to depictions and enactments of technology, there are still the first world and the third world. Inequalities in this media are produced by rural areas with poor or no internet connection, and affordability issues, which makes them excluded from the citizen journalism wave.
Inappropriate ethical practice may lead to privacy violations, trivia or sensitive issues being explored and publicized, or the use of sensationalization. Which raises questions of professionalism and responsibility.
Effect on conventional media
Citizen journalism has changed mainstream media in Zimbabwe and made set up outlets transform. Most traditional journalists are increasingly using social media to gather story ideas or to verify information gathered by citizens. Some media outlets have embraced the concept of dealing with citizen reporters with some of the materials that they produce being incorporated into official journalism.
The state of the citizen journalism has however applied pressure on the conventional media of competing for viewers hence catalyzing the creativity of the new journalism digital media and multimedia stories. This synergistic relationship has changed the boundary between the citizen and professional journalist.
The prospect of citizen journalism in Zimbabwe
Several factors will however dictate the future prospects of citizen journalism in Zimbabwe.
Greater advocacy of press freedom along with elimination of conducive media legislation might help to improve the conditions for citizen reporters. This process will be much aided by companies embracing issues to do with digital rights and media literacy.
The awareness training intended to build the competency with which the work of a citizen journalist is done can assist make it one that is credible and of quality. Of particular significant will be those programs which shall encourage ethical reporting and advocacy for truthfulness.
The applicability and the influence of citizen journalism are possibly going to expand farther and farther as more and more people obtain access to the internet and the technology in the mobile devices shifts. Citizen reporting itself might be enhanced with help of the AI and live-streaming technologies in the future.
The support from international media organizations, NGOs and advocacy groups can supply tools and media platforms for Zimbabwe’s citizen reporters, thus boosting their power.
Conclusion
Offering a replacement for mainstream sources and giving air to ordinary citizens, citizen journalism is changing the media landscape in Zimbabwe. This is making it an important tool for social transformation because of the promoted sense of accountability, media versatility, and the sociology of critical thinking. While the cases are still challenging, Zimbabwe’s citizen reporters’ perseverance and creativity suggest promising future to this vibrant and evolving movement. The probable evolution of citizen journalism is that it will remain Zimbabwe’s headline in the ever evolving media narrative, only as long as press freedom is protected and as technology advances progress.
