Post Reporter
THE Government this week voiced concern over what it described as a growing trend of negative reporting in the local media. Speaking at a meeting with Editors from both the public and private media on Wednesday, the Minister of Media, Information and Publicity, Cde Webster Shamu, said Cabinet had expressed disappointment on the level of negative coverage by the media, which was not only disrespectful of national leadership but also served to discourage foreign investment.
"People are tired of reading distorted and grossly exaggerated and sensational stories in the local media. This uninformed and unbalanced reporting has been painting a distorted world view of events in the country.
"One explanation for this is that editors or journalists are selecting stories that favour one side over the other. This means that certain issues are covered while others are not. In some of the reports one side has been receiving more favourable coverage than the other.
So we appeal to you as gatekeepers to behave responsibly and ensure fairness and objectivity in your operations,'' he said.
One of the issues that came under scrutiny during the meeting was the negative coverage of the $100 million The Mall of Zimbabwe project in Harare, which is touted as the second largest shopping mall in Africa.
Businessman and promoter of the project, Mr Ken Sharp, who attended the meeting, registered his displeasure over how some sections of the local media had written negative stories about the investment, while foreign media had in fact lauded the project.