The role of the media in

communicating agricultural

information for development

in Zimbabwe

Tinashe Mugwisi

Unisa

Introduction

• Effective communication of new research findings

and technologies in agriculture to rural farmers

remains a promising strategy for increasing

agricultural productivity (Abubakar, Ango and Buhari

2009)

• The success of agricultural development

programmes in developing countries largely depends

on the nature and extent of use of mass media in the

mobilization of people for development (Ango, Illo,

Abdullahi, Maikasuwa, and Amina 2013).

Defining the media

Conceptualising the media

• Mass media

– The mass media are diversified media technologies that are

intended to reach a large audience by mass communication

– The technologies through which this communication takes

place varies

• Print media

– Print media use a physical object such as a newspaper, book,

pamphlet or comics to distribute their information

• Broadcast media

– Broadcast media such as radio, recorded music, film and

television transmit their information electronically

Aim and objectives of the study

• The aim of the study was to investigate the role of

the media in communicating agricultural information

for development in Zimbabwe

The specific objectives:

• To examine whether the media is involved in

disseminating agriculture information in Zimbabwe

• To determine the extent of agricultural information

dissemination by print and electronic media in

Zimbabwe

Aim and objectives of the study

The specific objectives:

• To ascertain whether there is any collaboration

among various groups (agriculture subject

specialists) in development of both print and

broadcast content

• To determine how attuned the media is in reporting

gender and agriculture issues.

• To identify challenges media houses face in

disseminating agricultural information for

development.

Methodology • The media houses responsible for both print and electronic were

identified

• ZBH (5 radio stations, and one for the Television station)

• Zimpapers Group (7 newspapers and one radio station)

• Alpha Media Group (3 newspapers)

• Modus publications (1 newspaper)

• ANZ Group (2 newspapers; only 1 sent)

• ZiFM (1 radio channel)

• ZACRAS (3 radio channels)

• New Ziana did not respond when permission was sought to carry

out the study and was excluded

• Due to the number of media houses involved, sampling was not

considered necessary

• a questionnaire was distributed (electronically) to the public and

private media houses identified

Findings and discussion

Broadcast media

Print media

Station name N=9

Newspaper name N=8

ZBC -Sport FM (SFM) formerly radio 1 1

Herald 1

ZBC-Radio Zimbabwe (formerly radio

2) 1

Umthunywa 1

ZBC-Power FM (formerly radio 3) 1 Manica Post 1

ZBC-National FM (Formerly radio 4) 1 Sunday Mail 1

ZTV 1

Chronicle 1

StarFM-( a radio station for

Zimpapers) 1

Sunday News 1

ZiFM-(private radio) 1

Kwayedza 1

Community radios 2 Financial Gazette (Private) 1

Total 9 Total 8

Characteristics • Ownership

– print media, 1 was privately owned while 7 were publicly owned

– broadcast category, 6 were public owned, 2 community and 1 privately

owned

• Frequency

– 2 of the newspapers were published daily while 6 were weekly

publications

– 7 broadcast for 24 hours, 7 days a week, 1 indicated 4 hours, while

another 1 was not registered

• Subject specialisation

– majority of journalists from print (5) were not subject specialist

– broadcast media (8) were not specialists in agriculture

• Qualifications

– 7 in the broadcast media had a bachelor’s degree

– 7 from print media had a diploma

Target and frequency Target groups

Broadcast media

Print media

Frequency Frequency

Communal farmers in rural areas, & New

small scale farmers 5

-

Commercial farmers, Government and

companies 1

1

Commercial & communal farmers, policy

makers, public, consumers 2

7

Non response 1 -

Total 9 8

Frequency of broadcast/publication

of agricultural news per week

Broadcast media Print media

Frequency Frequency

Once 3 6

Three times 1 1

Four times 2 -

Five times and above 2 1

Produce CDs & memory cards for

farmers to listen on farmers meeting

clubs periodically

1

-

Total 9 8

Agricultural programmes broadcast on radio/TV

channels Programme name

Frequency

Talking farming 2

Main news coverage 4

Farmers update in 13 national languages 1

Agriculture forum & Insects in Zimbabwe today 1

Ezabalimi & Ezezigodi programmes where we discuss agricultural issues &

challenges 1

Dare revarimi 1

Green matters 1

Enkundleni 1

Animal Diaries 1

Nhau dzevarimi /Indaba zabalimi 1

Murimi wanhasi 1

The Zimbabwean farmer 1

Inkundla yabalimi 1

-

Sources consulted when preparing news

items/programmes

Sources consulted

Broadcast media

Print Media Frequency Frequency

Farmers 9 8

Publications 9 5

Extension workers 8 7

Researchers 6 7

Government officials 9 8

Agro-industrial companies 7 8

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

8 7

Internet sources 6 7

Colleagues 4 2

Languages in which information is

disseminated

Language Broadcast media

Print media

Frequency Frequency

English 4 6

Shona 2 1

Ndebele 3 1

Sotho 1 -

Shangaan 1 -

Chewa 1 -

Kalanga 1 -

Nambia 1 -

Xhosa 1 -

Chikunda 1 -

Doma 1 -

Hwesa 1 -

Barwe 1 -

Yao 1 -

How the media endeavours to reach minority

language groups

Broadcast media

• Does not broadcast in minority languages

• Broadcasting in all languages

• Catered for by other sister stations NFM

• Visits to minority groups in Rural areas

• Community radio based in Nkayi for Ndebele speakers

• Use of subtitles

Print media

• It targets minority groups as agricultural news sources

• No effort has been made in this regard

• Stories are written in most basic English to enable everyone

to read

• Sister radio station Star FM

• Zimpapers has vernacular Kwayedza and Umthunywa

• Herald only uses simple English language

What the media is doing to reach illiterate

and semi-literate members of society Broadcast

• Use of sign language during news broadcast

• Engaging in rural trips to increase coverage

• Using listeners’ languages and simplifying technical terms

• Using Shona and Ndebele, which are the most popular

languages

Print media:

• Reaching out to rural and remote areas of the country

• Collaborating with the broadcast media to air news from

print media

• The news is catered for by the radio programmes

• No effort is being made

Media collaboration with other stakeholders • 7 respondents of the broadcast media and 7 of the print media

indicated in the positive

Partner organizations

Broadcast

media

Print media

Frequency

Frequency

Ministry of Agriculture 5 3

National foods, for feed related topics, 3 -

Agritex & veterinary services 3 -

NGOs 5 2

Farm & City 4

Farmer organisations 3 4

Agronomists and animal experts - 1

Academic institutions - 1

Agriculture magazines - 1

Agriculture research stations -

1

Collaboration and feedback • 7 respondents from the broadcast media indicated that they

invited agriculture subject specialists as guests on television or

radio

• print media showed that 4 out of 8 did collaborate

• 5 respondents from the broadcast media did collaborate

• StarFM gets stories from Herald newspaper

• Collaboration strengthens the quality of stories/coverage,

particularly where the reporters have little or no subject

background

• 6 respondents from the print media indicated that readers were

able to write back to the editors in response stories published

• 7 respondents from the broadcast media indicated that they

provided feedback as some programmes were broadcast live

and were interactive

Gender, the media and agriculture

• 8 respondents from the broadcast media indicated in the

positive

• 6 respondents from the print media said they covered gender

issues

Areas:

Topics covered

Broadcast media

Print media

Frequency Frequency

Programmes for newly resettled

(female) farmers 6

-

Success stories on female farmers'

contributions into agriculture 7

5

Programmes for women like sungano

yavakadzi 4

-

Information on how to access to

farming implements & technical

support

2

3

Programmes for women in farming -

6

Major Success areas Broadcast media Print media

Frequency Frequency

Coverage of the entire land reform process 3 3

Farmers are shifting from other crops to cash crops 1 2

Received many invitations to attend field days & district

shows 1

1

Reporting on challenges faced by communal farmers in

accessing markers 1

-

Givin farmers current prices on agricultural commodities 1 -

Promoting agriculture Extension services/facilities 3 3

Educating farmers on techniques on weather patterns &

distribution 3

3

Reporting on challenges faced by communal farmers in

accessing markers 2

-

Coverage of farmers success stories has encouraged other

people to venture into farming sector -

2

Reporting on conservation farming to promote use of better

methods -

2

The publication set aside a whole page to carry agricultural

stories every week -

1

Promoting information advocating for use of short season

seed varieties -

1

Profiling success farmers - 1

Factors which can help improve media ... Broadcast media

Print media

Frequency Frequency

Avail adequate resources like funds & all-terrain vehicles 1 -

Avail incentives for journalists who report on agriculture 1 -

Get sponsorship to cover agriculture news 1 -

Incentivizing coverage on Agriculture through awards ceremonies for the best

reporters 1

-

Introduce rewards for reported who report on agricultural news 1 -

License community radios in Zimbabwe 1 -

More workshops on reporting agriculture & special awards for covering agric issues 1 -

Need for training sponsorship 1 -

Companies & organisations should sponsor agriculture awards for journalists in

order to bring about competition within writers -

1

Encouraging closer partnerships with extension services/NGOs working in these

fields -

1

Give more space to agricultural stories - 1

More training for reporters dedicated to the subject - 1

Provision of resources such as vehicles, training of journalists to focus specifically

on agriculture -

1

The ministry of agriculture and other stakeholders should conduct workshops on

agricultural reporting -

1

These sectors simply need to become active to court coverage - 1

Through workshops & seminars whereby editors will be taught on the importance of

agriculture -

1

No response 1 -

Total 9 8

Conclusion

• What conclusions can we draw?