‘Wiring’ African Newsrooms: The Internet and Mainstream Print Journalism Practice in Zimbabwe

Background And Methodological Approach

Although Zimbabwe, like most sub-Saharan African countries faces major challenges of socio-economic development that manifest in poverty, disease and low level access to social services, including political turbulence (Kupe, 2004, p. 354), it nonetheless provides a good case for a close examination of the deployment of new technologies by mainstream journalists in sub-Saharan Africa for two key reasons. First, while the Zimbabwean media scene can not be generalised to scenarios in individual African countries, its mainstream press remains a central and vibrant platform for the struggle for control of public discourse between the opposition and the incumbent elite.¹ Second, relative to other sub-Saharan African countries, new technologies have proliferated and permeated key facets of social life in the country (see Moyo, L. 2009). They constitute an important factor in shaping communications, not least, the mainstream press’ newsmaking practices.