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Since February 2009 ZANU-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front) and MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) built a unity government.

Since its formation the country’s economy has slightly stabilised. Nevertheless, society as a whole and the political landscape remain deeply divided. The country is still hit by crisis and media reform remains a contested issue. Media in Zimbabwe is divided in state and privately owned media houses. The broadcasting is still only state-run.

In 2009, the new unity government announced plans to initiate media reform processes with a view to, among other things, liberalising the airwaves, licensing new daily and weekly newspapers and generally reform media law. Notwithstanding this, the two media fractions are as polarized as ever.

It is in this situation that the Media Programme for Sub-Sahara Africa runs a one week workshop which assembles ten journalists from across all media houses at one table in Harare. The aim of the workshop is to foster balanced reporting across all political lines, create an atmosphere of understanding and to produce journalistic pieces according to agreed journalistic standards. Conflicts and problems are not to be ignored but the aim is to find a common basis on which all participants can work together.

The workshop will be run together with the Centre for Film & Media Studies of the University of Cape Town.