New Chapter in Zimbabwean Media: Building Trust and Crafting Inclusive Narratives

By Annah Chikoti

The recently produced Reporting Guide for Media Practitioners in Zimbabwe is quietly redefining the standards for ethical journalism.
Developed through sustained media engagements led by freelance journalists, this guide has become a blueprint for transforming how key populations—particularly those within the LGBTI community—are represented in the press.

What sets this initiative apart is not just its content but its process. Journalists, editors, and community advocates came together in collaborative spaces to confront decades of distorted storytelling.

These engagements didn’t gloss over the past—they interrogated it. They addressed the history of harmful coverage, from sensational headlines to editorial decisions rooted in fear, moral bias, or silence. For years, the media’s portrayal of the LGBTI community was limited to moments of conflict, legal scrutiny, or social backlash.

Trust, if it existed at all, was threadbare.
The Reporting Guide is more than a checklist—it’s an invitation to rebuild fractured relationships.

By offering practical tools for respectful engagement, informed consent, and accurate language, the guide encourages journalists to move beyond reactive coverage and instead foster proactive, community-centered storytelling.

Importantly, it places trust at the core of ethical journalism: trust in the reporter to tell the truth, and trust from the community to be seen and heard authentically.
Building this trust has been no small feat.

Freelance journalists played a pivotal role, often stepping into spaces where mainstream media hesitated.

Their commitment to community dialogue created room for feedback, learning, and mutual respect.

Through workshops, field visits, and editorial mentorship, these journalists helped change the newsroom mindset—from reporting about key populations to reporting with them.

Recent features inspired by this new approach have showcased youth leaders, creatives, and activists from within the community—stories rooted in joy, defiance, and hope.

These narratives stand in stark contrast to earlier portrayals that cast key populations as peripheral or problematic. By embracing complexity, journalists are beginning to reflect the true richness of Zimbabwean society.

The ripple effect of this transformation goes beyond media. When readers encounter nuanced, dignified accounts of individuals who were once written off or misrepresented, their assumptions begin to shift.

That’s the power of inclusive reporting—it reshapes public perception, fosters empathy, and redefines who belongs.
While progress is visible, the road ahead requires vigilance.

Editors must continue championing inclusive content. Journalism schools must embed the guide into curriculum. And freelance journalists—who have led the charge—must be supported with resources to expand their work.