Government sets up media watch dog

The Zimbabwe government has set up a media watchdog to police the operations of the press, PANA said on Wednesday. Information Minister Jonathan Moyo said the new National Media Advisory Panel would advise government on media policy as well as examine “professional standards and ethics in information gathering, processing and dissemination”. The move has been criticised by the private media in Zimbabwe. In an editorial comment on Tuesday, entitled “Final onslaught on media must not succeed,” the privately-run ‘Daily News’ said the move was intended, in part, to weaken the independent media as part of plans to neutralise opposition parties in the country to which the private media had given prominent coverage. “The intention (of setting up the media watchdog) is identical to the plans being hatched against the opposition party to neutralise the vibrant and robust voice of a media that is fearless and unabashed in its campaign to monitor the government to ensure the rights of the people, political and economic as well as social, are not trampled upon,” it said. “Any dilution of this vital role of the independent media to the promotion of democratic ideals will deal a severe blow to the people’s well-expressed desire for real democracy after years of one-party arrogant rule,” it added.