Andrew Meldrum
Encyclopedia
Andrew Meldrum is an American journalist who has concentrated on Africa and human rights. He worked in Zimbabwe for 23 years. Currently Meldrum is deputy managing editor and senior editor for Africa at GlobalPost
. He was The Economist
magazine and The Guardian
newspaper correspondent in Zimbabwe
from 1980 to May 2003 before being illegally expelled by the Zimbabwean government because the government objected to his reports exposing state torture.
in Hudson, Ohio
, graduating in 1970. He then studied history at Middlebury College
and got a Masters degree from Columbia University School of Journalism in 1977.
In 2004 Meldrum won the Schork Award
for "courageous international journalism" from Columbia University
. In his career and stay in Zimbabwe
, he wrote a book called Where We Have Hope: A Memoir of Zimbabwe which talks about his 23 years stay.
He was at Harvard University as a Nieman Fellow in the 2007/2008 academic year where he researched on the role of the press in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Meldrum continued his work and exposed how a member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change was beaten in police custody and later died. In May, 2003, Meldrum was abducted by Zimbabwean authorities and illegally expelled from Zimbabwe to South Africa
where he continued to write for The Guardian on Zimbabwe. His lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa
, had obtained court orders allowing him to remain in the country but he was abducted by police and detained before leaving Zimbabwe.
GlobalPost
GlobalPost is an online US news company that focuses on international news. It wants "to redefine international news for the digital age."-History and management:...
. He was The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
magazine and The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper correspondent in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
from 1980 to May 2003 before being illegally expelled by the Zimbabwean government because the government objected to his reports exposing state torture.
Biography
Meldrum attended high school at Western Reserve AcademyWestern Reserve Academy
Western Reserve Academy is a private, mid-sized, coeducational boarding and day college preparatory school located in Hudson, Ohio.-History:...
in Hudson, Ohio
Hudson, Ohio
Hudson is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 22,262 at the 2010 census. It is an affluent exurban community and is part of the Akron, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, graduating in 1970. He then studied history at Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
and got a Masters degree from Columbia University School of Journalism in 1977.
In 2004 Meldrum won the Schork Award
Kurt Schork
Kurt Schork was an American reporter and war correspondent. He was killed in an ambush while on an assignment for Reuters in Sierra Leone together with cameraman Miguel Gil Moreno de Mora of Spain, who worked for Associated Press Television...
for "courageous international journalism" from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. In his career and stay in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, he wrote a book called Where We Have Hope: A Memoir of Zimbabwe which talks about his 23 years stay.
He was at Harvard University as a Nieman Fellow in the 2007/2008 academic year where he researched on the role of the press in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Arrest and expulsion
In May 2002, Meldrum was briefly jailed after the Zimbabwean government charged him with violating a statute against "publishing a falsehood" for reporting a man's claims that his wife was decapitated by Mugabe supporters (Zanu-PF) in front of her two young children. It later became evident that the man had fabricated the decapitation story. Meldrum's trial lasted two months and he could have faced two years in jail. He was defended by Zimbabwean lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa. Meldrum was acquitted and the magistrate ruled that he had acted as a responsible journalist. , only to receive a deportation order. In a second legal case, a judge ruled that Meldrum, as the holder of a permit of permanent residence, had the legal right to stay and work in the country.Meldrum continued his work and exposed how a member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change was beaten in police custody and later died. In May, 2003, Meldrum was abducted by Zimbabwean authorities and illegally expelled from Zimbabwe to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
where he continued to write for The Guardian on Zimbabwe. His lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa
Beatrice Mtetwa
Beatrice Mtetwa is a Zimbabwean lawyer who has been internationally recognized for her defense of journalists and press freedom. The New York Times described her in 2008 as "Zimbabwe's top human rights lawyer".-Legal practice:...
, had obtained court orders allowing him to remain in the country but he was abducted by police and detained before leaving Zimbabwe.
External links
- Articles by Meldrum - OpenDemocracy.net
- "Andrew Meldrum's video diary" - Guardian