THE Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe last week launched its report entitled “The State of Journalism Ethics in Zimbabwe” in Mutare, Masvingo and Gwanda.
The report was first launched at the Mutare Press Club on Wednesday before similar launches in Masvingo and Gwanda on Thursday and Friday respectively.
Addressing journalists in Mutare, VMCZ’s Media Ethics Committee chairperson Mr. Tapfuma Machakaire, urged private and public media practitioners to be ethical and desist from peddling propaganda.
“It is important for journalists to go through the report and draw a parallel to the findings as they reflect the state of journalism ethics and values in the country.
“Journalists should at all times strive to uphold professionalism and desist from propagating falsehoods and cheap propaganda,” he said.
Machakaire decried the decline of ethics in journalism and challenged journalists to improve their professionalism if they are to safeguard their noble profession.
The ‘State of Journalism Ethics in Zimbabwe’ research was conducted by Dr Wallace Chuma, a Media Studies Lecturer at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
VMCZ Board Member Bishop Sebastian Bakare attended the report launch in Mutare.
In Masvingo and in Gwanda, Mr.Machakaire urged journalists to desist from taking bribes and urged the media to be at the forefront of championing development issues in the country.
He also urged the media to move away from the election mode and challenged the media to set the development agenda in motion.
“The media in this country has not moved away from the election reporting mode and I urge the media to refocus its attention and move towards setting the agenda for development,”he said.
The ‘State of Journalism Ethics in Zimbabwe’ has been launched in various cities that include Bulawayo, Kwekwe, Gweru and Harare.
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