The state of the media in Zimbabwe today can only be seen and understood through the prism of the local and global historical developments that took place in the last hundred years. These developments, occasioned by the political, economic and cultural forces at play during the colonial and post-independence epochs, have had a lasting impression on the mass media of this country. This article endeavors to unravel the narrative of these historical developments and how they account for the state of the mass media in Zimbabwe today. It looks at the interplay between the local and global forces during the colonial and post-independence periods, and how these manifest themselves in the mass media today. The article focuses at the colonial period, Black Nationalism and resistance period and the post-independence period and shows how developments in these eras have dovetailed to form the countenance of the media today. This article discusses the history and current state of mainstream media in Zimbabwe. Advertising and Public Relations, the arts, film, telecommunications, and the Internet are also discussed. Although these media have not really acquired the state of mass communication in Zimbabwe and other African countries, they are discussed alongside radio, television, newspapers and magazines, which enjoy a fairly higher appeal and circulation in comparison.
3 parts