[2] Such acts were used to impose a media blackout on journalists reporting on allegedly excessive losses or setbacks suffered by the Rhodesian Security Forces as the bush war intensified.
Censorship of the foreign press ended, although the Joint Operations Command retained the power to apply internal media blackouts at its discretion.
The Rhodesian government had also issued a number of "D Notices", which revoked publishing rights to photographs of two candidates, Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe, except through official sanction.
[4] After Mugabe's victory in the 1980 election, the new Republic of Zimbabwe did not implement the proposed media reforms carried over from the Rhodesian years, which were instead seen as useful for disseminating information approved by the government.
In 1987, despite threats from the Zimbabwe National Army where the disease was taking its toll, the Financial Gazette newspaper published its first article on AIDS.
[7] The topic was vigorously covered in the private media, which later led to the government's decision to facilitate maximum publicity and education on the disease.
The emergence of this new media, along with civic groups and opposition parties, successfully changed government policy from a one-party state to a multi-party system.
[9] Reporters Without Borders claims the media in Zimbabwe involves "surveillance, threats, imprisonment, censorship, blackmail, abuse of power and denial of justice are all brought to bear to keep firm control over the news.
"[1] Opposition views are often skewed, scantly covered or not mentioned in the state media, which has also criticised demonstrations and strikes against the government.
ZANU–PF Minister of Justice Patrick Chinamasa said there was an "agreement to review the media policy so as to create a political climate where divergent voices will be heard.
[18] A licence was issued to the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ) that publishes Daily News which the government previously banned, was now free to operate.
[23] Other stations that were allowed into Zimbabwe, such as Al Jazeera, were told to be "more objective" in their reporting by the Zimbabwean government during the presidential election.
Rising media fees for reporting in the country have also caused condemnation from foreign journalists claiming that freedom of expression will deteriorate.
[25] The influential Daily News, which regularly published criticism of the government, was shut down in 2002, however its director Wilf Mbanga started The Zimbabwean soon after to continue challenging the Mugabe regime.
[26] Since the introduction of TV services in the country in the year 1960, there has only been 1 local free to air television channel, which is owned by the government.
[9] Chinese technology has been used to jam frequencies used by foreign based radio stations in South Africa, the US and the UK that criticise the government.
ZiFM, owned by ZANU–PF MP Supa Mandiwanzira is more focused on entertainment although it also offers political and social opinion programmes that are heavily weighted towards pro-government positions.
In the presidential elections in 2008, the media gave significantly more coverage to the ruling party, ZANU–PF, and rarely showed opposition broadcasts.
[9] Due to the unrestricted nature of the internet, foreign based Zimbabwean papers and news sites are accessible from inside Zimbabwe.