Edna Machirori

Last updated

Edna Machirori is a Zimbabwean journalist. She was the first black woman news editor in Zimbabwe, as news editor of The Chronicle , and the first black woman editor of a mainstream Zimbabwean newspaper, as editor-in-chief of The Financial Gazette . [1] In 2013 she won an IWMF Lifetime Achievement Award. [2]

Life

While at school Machirori started writing letters to the editor at the nationalist African Daily News , and in 1963 joined the newspaper as a cadet journalist. At that time she was the first woman on the newspaper's staff, and started a new women's page there, [3] before colonial authorities banned the paper in 1964. [4]

In 1974 Machirori left Zimbabwe on a scholarship to study at the New York Institute of Technology, gaining a BA in Communicatios in 1979. She worked as a media officer for the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, before returning to journalism as a senior reporter at The Chronicle .There she rose through the ranks, eventually becoming news editor. In 1988, under her leadership, the paper broke the Willowgate scandal, an investigation into ZANU-PF corruption, which led to the resignation of five cabinet ministers and subsequent newspaper censorship in Zimbabwe. [3]

In 2004 Machirori became features editor at The Financial Gazette , writing two political columns, 'Africa File' and 'Personal Glimpses' under a pseudonym. In 2006 ZANU-PF officials uncovered her identity and subjected her to personal and political attack. [3]

Machirori is a freelance writer for several Zimbabwean poublications. She is on the board of the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe and on the jury of the Federation of African Media Women in Zimbabwe. [3]

One of Machirori's daughters, Fungai, is also a journalist, founder of the blog Her Zimbabwe . [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ZANU–PF</span> Ruling political party of Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) is a political organisation which has been the ruling party of Zimbabwe since independence in 1980. The party was led for many years by Robert Mugabe, first as prime minister with the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and then as president from 1987 after the merger with the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) and retaining the name ZANU–PF, until 2017, when he was removed as leader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joice Mujuru</span> Zimbabwean politician (born 1955)

Joice Runaida Mujuru, also known by her nom-de-guerre Teurai Ropa Nhongo, is a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Vice-President of Zimbabwe from 2004 to 2014. Previously she had served as a government minister. She also served as Vice-President of ZANU–PF. She was married to Solomon Mujuru until his death in 2011 and was long considered a potential successor to President Robert Mugabe, but in 2014 she was denounced for allegedly plotting against Mugabe. As a result of the accusations against her, Mujuru lost both her post as Vice-President and her position in the party leadership. She was expelled from the party a few months later, after which she formed the new Zimbabwe People First party.

Jonathan Nathaniel Mlevu Moyo is a Zimbabwean politician who served in the government of Zimbabwe as Minister of Higher Education from 2015 to 2017. He was previously Minister of Information and Publicity from 2000 to 2005 and again from 2013 to 2015. He was elected to the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe as an independent candidate in 2005 and 2008. He is considered the core architect of the AIPPA and POSA restrictive legislation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmerson Mnangagwa</span> President of Zimbabwe since 2017

Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is a Zimbabwean politician who is serving as President of Zimbabwe since 24 November 2017. A member of ZANU–PF and a longtime ally of former President Robert Mugabe, he held a series of cabinet portfolios and was Mugabe's Vice-President until November 2017, when he was dismissed before coming to power in a coup d'état. He secured his first full term as president in the disputed 2018 general election. Mnangagwa was re-elected in the August 2023 general election with 52.6% of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Women's Media Foundation</span> Organization for womens rights

The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF), located in Washington, D.C., is an organization working internationally to elevate the status of women in the media. The IWMF has created programs to help women in the media develop practical solutions to the obstacles they face in their careers and lives. The IWMF's work includes a wide range of programs including international reporting fellowships in Africa and Latin America and providing grant opportunities for women journalists, research into the status of women in the media, and the Courage in Journalism, Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism, and Lifetime Achievement Awards. The IWMF advocates for press freedom internationally and often forms petitions asking international governments to release journalists in captivity and offer protection to journalists in danger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eugene Robinson (journalist)</span> American journalist

Eugene Harold Robinson is an American newspaper columnist and an associate editor of The Washington Post. His columns are syndicated to 262 newspapers by The Washington Post Writers Group. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 2009, was elected to the Pulitzer Prize Board in 2011 and served as its chair from 2017 to 2018.

Geoffrey Nyarota is a Zimbabwean journalist and human rights activist. Born in colonial Southern Rhodesia, he trained as a teacher before beginning his career with a Zimbabwean state-owned newspaper, The Herald. As editor of the state-owned Bulawayo Chronicle in 1989, he helped to break the "Willowgate" scandal, which resulted in several resignations from the cabinet of President Robert Mugabe.

<i>The Herald</i> (Zimbabwe) Zimbabwean daily newspaper

The Herald is a state-owned daily newspaper published in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in journalism</span>

Women in journalism are individuals who participate in journalism. As journalism became a profession, women were restricted by custom from access to journalism occupations, and faced significant discrimination within the profession. Nevertheless, women operated as editors, reporters, sports analysts and journalists even before the 1890s in some countries as far back as the 18th-century.

Simbarashe Herbert Stanley Makoni is a Zimbabwean politician and was a candidate for the March 2008 presidential election against incumbent Robert Mugabe. He was Minister of Finance and Economic Development in President Robert Mugabe's cabinet from 2000 to 2002. He faced strong opposition during the Economic Change in Zimbabwe in the early 2000s as his policies contradicted those of the rest of the ZANU-PF party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Mugabe</span> Former First lady of Zimbabwe; wife of Robert Mugabe

Grace Ntombizodwa Mugabe is a Zimbabwean entrepreneur, politician and the widow of the late President Robert Mugabe. She served as the First Lady of Zimbabwe from 1996 until her husband's resignation in November 2017, a week after he was ousted from power. Starting as a secretary to Mugabe, she rose in the ranks of the ruling ZANU–PF party to become the head of its Women's League and a key figure in the Generation 40 faction. At the same time, she gained a reputation for privilege and extravagance during a period of economic turmoil in the country. She was given the nickname Gucci Grace due to her extravagance. She was expelled from the party, with other G40 members, during the 2017 Zimbabwean coup d'état.

The media of Zimbabwe has varying amounts of control by successive governments, coming under tight restriction in recent years by the government of Robert Mugabe, particularly during the growing economic and political crisis in the country. The Zimbabwean constitution promotes freedom of the media and expression, however this is hampered by interference and the implementation of strict media laws. In its 2008 report, Reporters Without Borders ranked the Zimbabwean media as 151st out of 173.

<i>The Chronicle</i> (Zimbabwe)

The Chronicle is a popular daily newspaper in Zimbabwe. It is published in Bulawayo and mostly reports on news in the Matebeleland region in the southern part of the country. It is state-owned and therefore usually only publishes news that supports the government and its policies. It also covers stories on national and international news, as well as entertainment, sport, business, travel, job offers and real estate. It was established in 1894 and it was the largest newspaper in the country following The Herald.

Hazel B. Garland was a journalist, columnist and newspaper editor. She was the first African-American woman to serve as editor-in-chief of a nationally circulated newspaper chain. Born into a farming family, she was the eldest of 16 children. Although a bright and capable student, she dropped out of high school at her fathers instigation, and spent time working as a maid in order to provide financial assistance to her family.

Peggy Mitchell Peterman was an African American journalist and columnist at the St. Petersburg Times in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. She was known for initiating the integration of the news that had previously been on a page devoted to blacks throughout the newspaper. She was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award both from the National Association of Black Journalists and the International Women's Media Foundation in 1999.

Patrick Zhuwao is a Zimbabwean businessman, farmer, and politician. He served as minister of public service, labour and social welfare between October and November 2017. He was expelled from the ruling ZANU–PF party during the 2017 Zimbabwean coup d'état.

Beauty Lily Zhuwao is a Zimbabwean politician and the wife of former government minister Patrick Zhuwao. She is also the daughter-in-law of Sabina Mugabe, the sister of former President Robert Mugabe. Prior to 2015, Zhuwao was active in ZANU–PF politics, serving for several years as the Women's League provincial treasurer for Mashonaland West Province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Bulawayo bombing</span> Bomb explosion in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

On 23 June 2018, a grenade exploded at White City Stadium in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The blast occurred at a ZANU–PF campaign rally, just after President Emmerson Mnangagwa had finished giving a speech. It was described as an assassination attempt against Mnangagwa, who was unharmed. The bombing resulted in at least 49 injured, including Vice-Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi, and other high-ranking government officials. Two security agents later died of their injuries.

Joseph Kalimbwe is a Zambian politician, author and activist. Previously, he was president of the African Union youth simulation in 2014 and president of the student representative council of the University of Namibia in 2017. He has written for the Namibian Sun, and has published three books including Persecuted in Search of Change in 2017, The Pain of An Empty Stomach in 2015 and Teenage-Hood & the Impact of the Western World in 2014.

Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) Limited, operating as Zimpapers, is a state-controlled Zimbabwean mass media company. Originally a newspaper Publishing company, in the 2010s it expanded its operations to include commercial printing, radio and television. The company's portfolio includes over a dozen Magazines and newspapers, including The Herald and The Chronicle, several radio stations, and a television network. It is the largest newspaper publisher in Zimbabwe.

References

  1. Munzwembiri, Merit (2 July 2022). "Female journalists write their own narrative". The Chronicle .
  2. Horgan, Richard (October 25, 2013). "Fifty Years After Starting Out as a Journalist, Edna Machirori Accepts IWMF Award". adweek.com. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Edna Machirori". International Women's Media Foundation.
  4. Dombo, Sylvester (2016). "Press Politics, Class and Contested Notions of the Public: The African Daily News' Coverage of the Railway Strike and the Bus Boycott of 1956". Global Media Journal: African Edition.