In a rare moment of enlightened and constructive engagement with journalists by authorities – signalling restoration of temporary harmony – Presidential spokesperson George Charamba says he sees a brighter future in terms of liaisons and engagements on issues of mutual interest between the government and the media, particularly the executive.This growing rapprochement is an encouraging sign, although it should always be remembered media’s mandate is to act as a watchdog over the executive or hold government to account, not to collaborate with them, which is increasingly becoming the pattern amid pervasive media capture in Zimbabwe.
Charamba, in a surprisingly progressive piece, although laced with an unmistakable underlying reminder that the state or executive has the instruments of coercion if it wants to use them amid signs of media capture, was writing on his social media platform after Modus Media editors and executives went to State House to apologise to President Emmerson Mnangagwa for a grave error which The Financial Gazette had committed in an advertorial wishing the President happy birthday.
The advertorial had some misplaced words (May His Soul Rest in Eternal) on a birthday message and the editor of the group Guthrie Munyuki and his team apologised “profoundly” and “profusely” for the “mortifying error”.
Charamba subsequently writes:A TURNING POINT ON GOVERNMENT-MEDIA RELATIONS: This year alone, I have handled two issues of concern in the National Media: one to do with AMH on Zimbabwe-Zambia relations, and another to do with the Modus Group in respect of a mishap in the Group’s marketing arm.
The first was an editorial problem, the second a production error.
Both related to His Excellency the President, Dr ED Mnangagwa, and thus fell within my purview.
In respect of the first problem, while the editorial team at AMH decided against an outright apology as requested, ZMC moved in by way of a retreat at the Rainbow towers which broadened discussions to cover the whole industry and issues bedevilling it.
I addressed this broad-based gathering tikawonesana tikayanana.
The second problem, while quite emotive and potentially explosive, got resolved in a remarkably short space of time.
Two key elements set this matter apart and poignant: the Modus Group contritely took the initiative to suture the hurt through both a public apology and a formal apology to the Ministry of Defence.
It went further to despatch a delegation to the offended Head of State to personally tender a profuse apology.
Again, I was not only in attendance but also involved in the behind-the-scene contacts. Key lessons were drawn for the future.
More critically, the President not only accepted the apology; he also made it a lot lighter by making a joke of the whole matter.
The Modus Group, wryly suggested the President, needed to send a wreath to State House; and since he was already dead, he suggested the wreath be given to his Principal Private Secretary, Amai Msindo!!
All of us – offenders and defenders – roared with laughter!!
It was remarkable to see the Modus Team, the President, the Minister of Defence, the Director-General of CIO and myself united in raucous laughter.
The President was not yet done: did the Modus Group know that he had powers in the Constitution which allowed him to detain suspects for seven-long days without Courts asking?
Or that he had instructed CIO to collect them and deposit them in detention?
To which the DG, added: My guys are actually waiting by the gates of State House to effect an arrest as directed! Again the whole group was in stitches, after which the President cut in: THE ORDER IS HEREBY RESCINDED! We laughed even more.
Reflecting on both cases and falling back on my many years in Government, Government-Media Relations rest on the temperament of the Leadership and all of us as functionaries.
Especially we the functionaries who should understand how a newspaper is produced and what conditions.
That allows us to provide the first line of explanation to our Principals who might have cause to be upset or even angry.
We must resist the temptation to seek to be in the good graces of our Principals through stoking tensions and inventing conspiracies.
Mistakes do happen in the media, as in any other sector including Government.
On their part, the media must quickly acknowledge mistakes and atone for them in ways provided for by the Code of their profession.
Apologies do not presage weakness; quite the contrary, they are the hallmark of great publications, and do build reader trust.
They also assure politicians on the availability of timeous repair in the event of injury.
Such confidence makes interaction, not conflict, the weapon of first instance, as behoves a democratic and self-assured order.
Critically and last, our Organs – voluntary and statutory – must function.
This goes a long way in assuring and pacifying all parties. On that score, I want to pay tribute to ZMC for discharging its mandate admirably; above all for seeing both the trees and the woods.
Each mistake/error is a learning opportunity for the Industry.
I pay unstinting tribute to the Modus Group for showing unchallenged leadership in the Industry. Thank you guys!!! The future is bright, very bright!!!!👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿x.com/zimmediareview…
