of pens and swords

The pen is mightier that the sword.

True to the adage, the media in Zimbabwe is shaping the public sphere in the country.

The print and electronic media is very much shaping what is happening around us.

They are shaping the thoughts and actions of the people therefore they are in the ones who are in “control” of the future.

What my grandmother in Uzumba hears on the vernacular radio station, you cannot dispute.

You can never tell her it is wrong she will simply tell you,

“Ndakazvinzwa paradio urikundinyepera.”

END OF DISCUSSION!

So even if the media is to tell a lie, the people will believe the lie because according to the person out there on the street,

 “Iwe urikungondiudzawo urikunyepa ndichazviverengerea ndega mubepa kana kunzwa panews dzemanheru!

Wow!

Yes Journalists are very powerful people.

They can either break or make you. They can take you up the ladder and drop you in a drain faster than you can say your name.

If a story is published, it will be taken as what it is.

The media sets different agendas through their different forms of media.

There is the public and private media.

In every country, there is always the media that are responsible for maintain and establishment and another that is against the establishment.

There is developmental media that seeks to protect the country and there is destructive media that seeks to destroy the former.

In a nutshell as a journalist if you are in the developmental media unit then you are controlled by the editorial policy therewith, same as the other.

It’s either you only report on the good or on the bad.

It’s all these aspects that shape the public sphere. It is what the people are exposed to the most that they end up believing.

So as the media what exactly are we telling the people?

Are we shaping our public sphere as a circle or triangle?

Another notch to the public sphere is how much of the public figures is public and how much of it is private?

If I look at the life of legendry musician Oliver Mtukudzi and how the death of his son was really publicized.

This is because Tuku is in the public eye so whatever happens to him, is public, literally speaking!

Then there is debate on whether the media meddled in the PM’s life or not.

Firstly, the maintenance story of dear Locadia.

There was no meddling because the papers were filed in court and guess what, everyone has the right to request to view court papers because they are public documents so contextually there are in the public sphere.

Neeeeeext.

His marriage license being cancelled, did I mention public sphere in the above statements, yes I did!

NEEEEEEEEEEXT

So again, did the media meddle in his private life?

No.

The PM put his life on public display for everyone to view.

A part of his life that was meant to be private is now public because he allowed it to!

There is a thin line between privatizing the public sphere.

It is up to you what is private and what is public.

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