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Portraying Zimbabwe as a doomed and failed state is counter-productive and should therefore not be tolerated. The incessant negative reporting on Zimbabwe especially last week is a cause for concern given that it was during the same week that the country was playing host to its premier international trade and investment showcase, the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.

Zimbabweans in the Diaspora who have been reading some of the negative stories in the private media have every reason to be alarmed. One could be excused for concluding that some Zimbabweans have been reduced to moving skeletons as a result of hunger. According to private media accounts, there is a total collapse of the economy and there is no hope that the country can recover from this economic quagmire.

Admitted, the country is facing economic challenges and measures are being put in place to address these challenges. The media will not be doing the country any good by being alarmists scaring away investors. What does the media intend to achieve by blowing the situation out of proportion at a time when the international focus is on Zimbabwe and the country is playing host to representatives of different companies from the region and beyond who include those seeking to invest in this country?

We totally agree with the Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Christopher Mushohwe that the media would be shooting itself in the foot by scaring away investors. The media is equally affected by the flight of investors from the country and the closure of companies. We cannot agree more with Minister Mushohwe that the shrinking of the industry as a result of closure of companies impacts negatively on the media’s business because the very same people who are supposed to consume their products are out of employment.

Many companies last year rushed to retrench thousands of workers taking advantage of the Supreme Court ruling that allowed companies to retrench workers on three months’ notice without paying severance packages and the media was not spared. Many journalists were thrown onto the streets and many from the private media are yet to be paid their packages after the government amended the Labour Act to force the companies to pay the packages retrospectively.

It therefore boggles the mind when the same private media that was so adversely affected by the poor performance of the economy, relishes a further deterioration of the situation. The media as stated by Minister Mushohwe has a critical role to play in turning around the economy. It is the media that can tell the world that there are abundant investment opportunities in Zimbabwe. We are cognisant of the media’s watchdog role hence we are not saying the media should not highlight the shortcomings of government.

It is through the media that those corrupt individuals that are abusing state resources for their personal benefit can be exposed as well as those frustrating potential investors by demanding bribes. It is a fact that Zimbabwe is endowed with abundant natural resources that can make a difference but this is only possible if potential investors are confident that their investments will be secure.

The media therefore has a critical role to build this confidence and this includes both the public and private media. A prosperous Zimbabwe will be enjoyed by all citizens regardless of one’s political affiliation. It is therefore incumbent upon all Zimbabweans to have a shared vision when it comes to national issues because we have no substitute for this country.

We want at this juncture to implore the media to be responsible in its reportage as it has the power to build or destroy this nation.