(TALKZIMBABWE) BBC, CNN, Sky News losing credibility

BBC, CNN, Sky News losing credibility
Sihle Dube—Opinion
Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:10:00 +0000

DEAR EDITOR—I am concerned by the portrayal of Zimbabwe in international media and the negativity surrounding the reports on Zimbabwe. It seems like Zimbabwe is breaking news on every channel in the United Kingdom. Can any of your readers care to tell me what the fascination with our country is. I see wars and conflict elsewhere in the world where the news do not even make it to prime time.

Is there something that is in Zimbabwe that these people know about that we don’t – like hidden oil, diamonds or something?

The media onslaught is unwarranted. We need 'real news' not their opinions.

President Mugabe might be bad, but surely not so bad as to warrant such a media onslaught.

Western media’s bias has made it lose its credibility, especially with regards to Zimbabwe.

The BBC, CNN, Sky News unfortunately are exposing their inability to report on complex political crises like in Zimbabwe.

There has been an increasing number of political analysts from the opposition and human rights organisations expressing their ignorance on Zimbabwe.

I wonder how these analysts are selected by these seemingly authoritative news channels, but no more.

I’ll give an example of the hyperbole spread by ‘analysts’. The BBC entertained Wilf Mbanga of The Zimbabwean newspaper saying: “We have a leaked memo saying that the military junta in Zimbabwe is trying to kill off all MDC MPs.”

Now if this is not crazy, I do not have another definition of that term.

And why does The Zimbabwean always have these ‘leaked memos’ that never materialize. It is shocking that the BBC gives such people, obviously shallow analysts, the time of day.

The BBC has to work hard now to regain its credibility.

Sihle Dube—Opinion
sihledube@hotmail.co.uk