Media reform means employment creation
Another intake of National University of Science and Technology (NUST) media students has just finished their four-year degree programme this month. As a recent graduate of the same school, I know the feelings of sheer relief and satisfaction that completing such a grueling course prompts.
But, I also know the fears that this new dispensation brings with it.
With a national unemployment rate soaring at over 90%, the prospects for many Zimbabwean graduates are bleak and demoralising. Inevitably, inactivity awaits many of these promising minds.
A case in point would be my class of 24 students which completed studies in May 2008. In my humble estimation, we were all keen and bright learners – and yet, 15 months later, less than half of us are employed.
And bear in mind too that the NUST media department is just one of a few journalism schools in Zimbabwe. Each year, Midlands State University, the Harare Polytechnic and other institutions churn out enthusiastic media scholars who can’t find gainful means of making use of their professional qualifications.
In most cases, it is not through a lack of effort, or even a lack of requisite skills for a job or training opportunity.
It is simply because so few of them exist.
Reading the Global Political Agreement, I have noted the great potential that Article 19, on freedom of expression and communication, has to begin to redress this unfortunate situation.
In the document, Zimbabwe’s main political parties agree that the government should ensure the immediate processing of all applications for media registration in terms of both the Broadcasting Services Act and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).
Since its inception in 2001, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) has failed to license a single private or community-based broadcast station, while the now defunct Media and Information Commission only served to close up space for alternative print media voices.
I hope that this will change with the reforms currently being implemented, particularly with the introduction of the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) and the re-constitution of BAZ. Yes, the process already has its own controversies, but I sincerely hope that the two bodies will function to register more entities into our starved media environment soon, thereby creating employment opportunities for many.
At the public hearing with the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Communication Technology a few weeks ago, I raised the issue with the chairman and Member of Parliament, Mr. Gift Chimanikire. As he himself had mentioned in his introduction, the reason for opening up parliamentary bodies to dialogue with the public is to ensure that ordinary Zimbabweans are able to exercise an oversight role in monitoring government’s implementation of various policies.
Indeed, current media policy has been argued to be un-democratic and non-representative. But more so, it is depriving many young people the opportunity to become a part of the process of change in Zimbabwe. As the generation with the greatest potential to rebuild and re-harmonise this nation, we deserve outlets to exhibit our creativity, innovativeness and professionalism.
In response to my concern, Mr Chaminikire noted the importance of promoting media pluralism in Zimbabwe stating, “We should be able to deliver on this because not only does it create employment, but diversity in terms of reporting. Pluralism means the people will be more informed and I can assure you the committee is committed to that.”
For the sake of the many currently unemployed media professionals, and those who are still involved in their studies, I sincerely hope that this committee, as well as the various organs created to facilitate Zimbabwe’s media reform, will deliver on their promises in a timely and unbiased manner.