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The Herald (Zimbabwe)
Encyclopedia
The Herald is a government owned daily newspaper published in Harare
, the capital of Zimbabwe
.
Herald and Zambesian Times”, it was a weekly, hand-written news sheet produced using the cyclostyle
duplicating process. In October the following year it became a printed newspaper and changed its name to "The Rhodesia Herald”.
The Argus group later set up a subsidiary called the Rhodesian Printing and Publishing Company to run its newspapers in what was then Southern Rhodesia
.
After the white minority Rhodesian Front government unilaterally declared independence on 11 November 1965, it started censoring The Rhodesia Herald. The newspaper responded by leaving blank spaces where articles had been removed, enabling readers to gauge the extent of the censorship.
and The Sunday News in Bulawayo
and the Manica Post in Mutare
. The Chronicle, launched in October 1894 as The Bulawayo Chronicle, is the second oldest newspaper in the country.
and the Zanu-PF party, and its demonization of the opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC). It often accuses the MDC of being agents of colonial powers.
The Herald faces limited competition from within Zimbabwe, although there are still several independent newspapers based in Zimbabwe, such as the Independent, due to very restrictive accreditation laws in Zimbabwe. Many opposition media claim that the paper has evolved into an instrument of rather crude and aggressive propaganda. (On the other hand, it often offers important insights into the workings of the Zanu-PF elite.)
The editorial staff are open in their partisanship. The paper makes no pretense of impartiality. The editors also support the restrictions on opposition newspapers. Their rationale for this is explained as follows by Caesar Zvayi, a regular contributor to the Herald:
In mid-May 2008, its website
was briefly shut down by cyber hackers
.
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
, the capital of 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...
.
Origins
The newspaper's origins date back to the 19th century. Its forerunner was launched on June 27 1891 by W E Fairbridge for the Argus group of South Africa. Named the “MashonalandMashonaland
Mashonaland is a region in northern Zimbabwe. It is the home of the Shona people.Currently, Mashonaland is divided into three provinces, with a total population of about 3 million:* Mashonaland West* Mashonaland Central* Mashonaland East...
Herald and Zambesian Times”, it was a weekly, hand-written news sheet produced using the cyclostyle
Cyclostyle (copier)
The Cyclostyle duplicating process is a form of stencil copying invented by David Gestetner in London in 1890. A stencil is cut with the help of small toothed wheels on a special paper underlaid with carbon paper which serves as a printing form. Gestetner named the Cyclostyle after a drawing tool...
duplicating process. In October the following year it became a printed newspaper and changed its name to "The Rhodesia Herald”.
The Argus group later set up a subsidiary called the Rhodesian Printing and Publishing Company to run its newspapers in what was then Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa. From its independence in 1965 until its extinction in 1980, it was known as Rhodesia...
.
After the white minority Rhodesian Front government unilaterally declared independence on 11 November 1965, it started censoring The Rhodesia Herald. The newspaper responded by leaving blank spaces where articles had been removed, enabling readers to gauge the extent of the censorship.
Post Independence
In 1981, after Zimbabwe became independent, the government bought The Herald and other papers from the Argus group, using a US$20 million grant from Nigeria, and established the Zimbabwe Mass Media Trust to operate them. The Trust created Zimbabwe Newspapers, Ltd., as the publisher of the papers.Sister Papers
Other newspapers published by the same group include The Sunday Mail in Harare, The Chronicle (Zimbabwe)The Chronicle (Zimbabwe)
The Chronicle is a popular daily newspaper in Zimbabwe. It is published in Bulawayo and mostly reports on news in the Matebeleland region in the southern part of the country. It is state-owned and therefore usually only publishes news that supports the government and its policies...
and The Sunday News in Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
and the Manica Post in Mutare
Mutare
Mutare is the fourth largest city in Zimbabwe, with a population of around 170,000. It is the capital of Manicaland province.-History:...
. The Chronicle, launched in October 1894 as The Bulawayo Chronicle, is the second oldest newspaper in the country.
Controversy
The Herald has for some time been noted for its completely one sided reporting for the government of President Robert MugabeRobert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
and the Zanu-PF party, and its demonization of the opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change
Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai
The Movement for Democratic Change Zimbabwe is a political party and the largest party in the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe. It is the main formation formed from the split of the original Movement for Democratic Change in 2005.-Foundation:...
(MDC). It often accuses the MDC of being agents of colonial powers.
The Herald faces limited competition from within Zimbabwe, although there are still several independent newspapers based in Zimbabwe, such as the Independent, due to very restrictive accreditation laws in Zimbabwe. Many opposition media claim that the paper has evolved into an instrument of rather crude and aggressive propaganda. (On the other hand, it often offers important insights into the workings of the Zanu-PF elite.)
The editorial staff are open in their partisanship. The paper makes no pretense of impartiality. The editors also support the restrictions on opposition newspapers. Their rationale for this is explained as follows by Caesar Zvayi, a regular contributor to the Herald:
- "A free Press is vital for a vibrant society. But you have to understand the context in which the Zimbabwean State is operating. It is under siege from some Western countries, some of which - like the US - openly admit to sponsoring the media and various opposition groups to discredit the Government. ... How independent will the Press be if they are funded by an outsider who openly declares his intention to unseat the incumbent Government?"
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
was briefly shut down by cyber hackers
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
.
Offices
The Herald's offices are in Herald House, overlooking Africa Unity Square in central Harare.Current Editor
As of February 2010, the editor of The Herald was Pikirayi Deketeke, a militant supporter of the English Premier League football team Liverpool F.C. after their visit to the country for intensive low altitude training in the Harare province.External links
- The Herald newspaper website.
- The Zimbabwe Guardian Zimbabwe newspaper online.