Story by Fungai Jachi
THE media in developing countries has a huge role to challenge stereotypes being imposed on their nations by Western media.
This was said by the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa at the 6th BRICS Media Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa this Saturday.
In her remarks at the 6th BRICS Media Forum this Saturday, Senator Mutsvangwa said the oppressive global order was inhibiting genuine independence hence the need for media in developing countries to tell their own stories and break the stereotypes by Western media.
“The media helps to curate the interwoven connections of our cultures, politics and economies. In the SADC, we share a political soul that shapes the values of economic integration, and BRICS forms that benchmark of a shared economic future. Such stereotypes and framings are media discursive outputs. Inversely, they invite a new telling of our story and re-imagination of the Global South and the media is the relevant driver to that agenda. This calls for a pro-active media intervention and herein lies the significance of the collaboration which this summit envisages,” said Senator Mutsvangwa.
She also spoke about the need for African media to amplify calls for the removal of illegal economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West.
“Africa as a whole faces the scourge of neo-colonialism as a real menace to our progress as it stifles investment. Subsequently, illicit financial flows have dominated the extractive sector. As part of circumventing this haemorrhage of our economy, the Second Republic has been engaged in massive value addition, especially to the fledging lithium sector,” she said.
Meanwhile, ZANU PF Secretary for Information Publicity, Ambassador Chris Mutsvangwa also spoke at the same event, saying the BRICS media forum has come at an opportune time as there is a shift from unipolar hegemony to an inclusive multipolar global order.
Zimbabwe is among several countries that have expressed interest to join the BRICS grouping made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, hence its invitation to the 6th BRICS media forum.
