The role of the media in communicating agricultural information for development in Zimbabwe Tinashe Mugwisi Unisa
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).
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