Zimbabwe's media under scrutiny: The work of the media monitoring project Zimbabwe

Abstract

The Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ) is an independent Trust working to promote responsible journalism in Zimbabwe. The Project monitors the information output of the country's radio, television and print media. It produces weekly reports of its findings and occasional reports on current issues, and in 2001 established an MMPZ Advocacy Unit to lobby on information rights issues. MMPZ began its operations in January 1999 as a joint initiative of three organizations: the Zimbabwe chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe (CCJPZ) and ARTICLE 19, the International Centre Against Censorship, which is based in Johannesburg and London. It is now an independent trust. In this article, the author describes the project's activities over a week in June 2002.