THE Zimbabwe Media Commission has called on institutions not to withhold information about their operations and activities from the public to ensure effective reporting by journalists. Speaking at an investigative journalism workshop hosted by Transparency International Zimbabwe last Wednesday, ZMC manager- information compliance Brian Tomo emphasised that transparency in institutional operations was crucial in promoting public trust and accountability. “The ZMC is encouraging entities to make sure that they make information readily available and give it to people before they even ask for it, which is proactive disclosure. “Access to information is of paramount importance to the growth of any country, Zimbabwe is not an exception. “The training has provided a platform to discuss the Freedom of Information Act. This law is there to make sure that people get information, and it encourages transparency in institutions,” he said. “This entails that everyone in this country, who is a citizen, has a right to know the operations and activities of entities. Tomo urged the media to adhere to ethics and limit quoting anonymous sources as it questions credibility. “As the ZMC we encourage the media to always write factual stories, attributing sources and do proper interviews so that news items have weight. “In as much as confidential sources are often critical, especially in investigative journalism it is important to avoid just saying “our reliable source” time and again as it questions credibility,” he said. He added that the ZMC is there to make sure that if a person fails to get the required information, they can appeal to us. “We will make sure we write to the entity to get to understand why they have failed to provide the information.”

Zim Media Commission calls for institutional transparency

By Shamaine Chirimujiri

22 June, 2025

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