By Flata Kavinga
The Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) has warned that the country’s media sector is facing a “crisis of existence”, with many organisations struggling to operate at optimum capacity, underscoring the need for collective efforts to strengthen sustainability.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Community Media Sustainability Engagement Workshop in Gweru, MAZ executive director Nigel Nyamutumbu said the engagement formed part of efforts to implement the National Media Policy, which identifies media sustainability as one of its strategic pillars.
Nyamutumbu said MAZ has been consulting various media stakeholders to explore practical ways of improving the sustainability of the sector.
“For this particular session, we are engaging community and internet-based media to explore ways in which they can be sustainable, to learn and share from each other, express solidarity and more importantly, identify policy gaps that are hindering media sustainability for these organisations,” he said.
He said Zimbabwe’s media industry is under significant pressure, with many media organisations struggling to remain viable.
“The media in Zimbabwe is currently facing a crisis of existence in that no media organisation is really operating at an optimum level,” said Nyamutumbu.
He said the challenges facing the industry require stakeholders to work together in identifying long-term solutions that will enable media organisations to remain operational and fulfil their public interest mandate.
Nyamutumbu said sustainable media institutions are essential in promoting freedom of expression and improving citizens’ access to information.
“The media is a conduit for enhancing freedom of expression and access to information,” he said, adding that viable media platforms are critical to serving the public effectively.
