The VMCZ is seriously concerned over copyright infringement and defamation by unregistered and secretive online media houses reporting on Zimbabwe, within and outside of the country.
The VMCZ is increasingly concerned about the rising number of complaints against media houses that are not registered with our council or any recognized media professional body or regulatory authority in Zimbabwe. This ongoing trend poses significant challenges to the Media Complaints Committee’s ability to effectively mediate disputes and uphold the standards of professional and ethical journalism in the country.
Of great concern to the VMCZ, is the lack of transparency and accountability of these social media platforms whose location and contact details are unknown to the general public and media regulatory bodies. Equally concerning is the secrecy surrounding their physical offices and ownership identities, a trademark of professional and accountable media. The absence of clear and verifiable information about where these media entities operate from, and who is responsible for their content, further complicates the process of holding them accountable for their actions whenever members of the public raise issue with their published content. This opaqueness undermines trust in the media and poses a significant barrier to the enforcement of ethical standards and legal compliance. The VMCZ urges all media outlets in the country to maintain transparency in their operations and leadership structures, as a fundamental aspect of responsible journalism.
As a self-regulatory body, tasked with enforcing media professionalism and accountability the VMCZ, reiterates the importance of professional conduct in media practice. It is vital that all media houses that operate in the professional sphere, whether online or traditional, operate within ethical boundaries and within legal frameworks that respects the rights and dignity of all individuals, and this includes the obligation to acknowledge and respect intellectual property rights.
The Media Complaints Committee of the VMCZ is currently addressing a media complaint raised by Ms Emma Zihonye, together with the Zimbabwe Association of Female Photographers, through its director, Ms Angela Jimu, against ZimDaily, an online publication.
Ms Zihonye, a media practitioner, claims ZimDaily used a picture she captured without acknowledging the source, and when she sent an email to the publication she was not responded to but instead ZimDaily went on to post on its Twitter pages the email Ms Zihonye sent to them claiming she is a ‘vakarashi.” The VMCZ as part of its dispute resolution mandate sought to engage ZimDaily on the matter. Despite numerous efforts to engage with the media house in question, the VMCZ has been unable to make contact through given email address (editor@zimdaily.com), provided on their Facebook Page and address given in one of their platforms. Consequently, the media house did not attend the scheduled complaints meeting intended to mediate and resolve the complaint.
The VMCZ Code of Conduct mandates that all media practitioners and organizations must “ensure the integrity of their reporting and acknowledge sources of information where applicable.” Furthermore, the Code emphasizes that “journalists shall not engage in plagiarism or any act that compromises the intellectual property rights of others.”
In line with the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act [Chapter 26:05] of Zimbabwe, copyright infringement is a serious offense. The law protects creators’ rights over their intellectual property, and any unauthorized use of such property constitutes a violation that has legal consequences.
The VMCZ calls upon all media houses operating within the country, including online platforms, to clearly provide authentic contact details and to adhere media ethics and professional conduct.
The VMCZ remains committed to promoting and safeguarding ethical journalism in Zimbabwe and will continue to take necessary actions to address any violations that compromise the integrity of the media profession.
VMCZ Media Complaints Committee
-THE END-
Recent Comments