The Role of Print Media During Elections: A Case Study of Zimbabwe

Abstract

The study analyzed the role that print media had in framing participatory democracy in Zimbabwe during elections. The Daily News and The Herald newspapers in the July and August 2013 editions were used in the study. This was the pre-election, the election and the post election period (the election period). The study established the openness of citizens and their influence on the voters (other citizens) in making informed decisions during the election period. The qualitative study method was employed in in-depth interviews and focus group discussion was used as the research instruments. Nine media specialists and eight media students were used as the research subjects. The documentary review method was used to provide information on how the nature of the letters to the editor and the analysis/opinion columnists tackled contentious issues of the election period in this public platform. Overally the newspaper platform was a public sphere for debate but citizens’ voices were muffled by the partisan nature of media houses and national coverage was mainly confined to the urban areas together with the use of e-mail facilities. Gender mainstreaming in the media fraternity leaves a lot to be desired both in the form of citizens’ contributing to election debate and the nature of posts in media field. The study recommends that media houses in collaboration with the Zimbawe Electoral Committee should educate Zimbabwean citizens on the importance of exercising their rights of freedom of expression during election periods. Women should take an active role in educating women to be active in public debate and should not shun writing their opinions to media houses during election periods. It is also recommended that further research be undertaken to establish how best citizens in the peripheries of Zimbabwe can become participants in the democratic platform provided by newspapers.