By Tendai Chisiri
Zimbabwe Union Journalists (ZUJ) held a dialogue with its member journalists in Harare to comemmorate World Press Freedom Day on Tuesday.
In a press statement ZUJ, said they join the rest of the world in commemorating this occasion as it is of paramount importance to reflect on predd freedom and the current challenges beon faced by journalists in the country.
The impromptu dialogue held at Theatre on the Park in the Harare Gardens was of calibre as journalist tried to find the lasting solution to the theme of the day.
“ZUJ therefore uses this year’s WPFD commerations, who’s theme is “Journalism under digital siege” to insist that journalists and the media should be allowed to operate in social and professional conditions that respect the need fornmedia freedom”, read the organisation’s press release.
Journalism is a good public good that plays a central in initiating and stimulating public debates for the betterment of social . The public depends on journalists on journalists to inform and educate them to make informed decisions in their day- to- day lives.
“Yet the nature of the media profession itself makes journalists subjected to heightened risks and targeting more than others exercising the same right of freedom o expressions and opinion. Journalists fave constant challenges in accessing information from public bodies. They are battling secretive governments, restricted movement, threats intimidations, beatings, death, misinformation and source who are too scared to speak”, alerted the press release.
ZUJ commerating WPFD insisted that journalists and the media should and the media should be allowed to operate in social professional conditions that respect the need for media freedom.
During the dialogue, journalists aired their views on situations whom they seemed to be provoking press freedom.
“The fees gazzeted by Media Commison of Zimbabwe (MCZ) got to be of exorbitant charges on journalists mainly freelance journalists so the MCZ should have engaged those of that kind”, said Wallace Mawire during the dialogue.
Desire Tshuma moderating argumented that freelance journalists were being taken for a ride as media houses were not paying for their artickest.
Karen Manzera also moderating in line with gender balance warned journalists to understand the bills that stiffle their freedom as emails and social media accounts get monitored by respective governments.
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