Nyarota Launches News Online Website
Congratulations Geoff!!!!!

Report by Financial Gazette
Additional Reporting by ZimJournalists Arise

Tomorrow journalist, Geoffrey Nyarota, launches the country’s newest Internet publication, The Zimbabwe Times. com.

Nyarota, the founder and editor of the banned Daily News since its inception in 1999 until January 2003, said The Zimbabwe Times.com is an initiative driven by Zimbabwean media practitioners in Zimbabwe, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States, where he is currently based. Nyarota is the online publication’s managing editor.

“The project is driven by a passionate and patriotic desire to expand media space in a country where press freedom has been methodically curtailed by a government committed to keeping mainstream media under effective control, while denying the public full access to information.

“The population of Zimbabwe has, therefore, become increasingly starved of meaningful information of interest and relevance. We are elated that we are able to join and to complement the effort of the growing family of independent Internet-based Zimbabwean publications, all contributing in their own way to the crusade to keep Zimbabweans well informed, as is their democratic right.

“We seek to provide a vibrant, quality, reliable and credible medium for the dissemination of news and information for the benefit of a readership based in as well as outside Zimbabwe, in the vast Diaspora,” Nyarota said.

He said that a team of competent and well-respected journalists and writers will contribute to the news site.
“Relying on in-depth investigation into issues and analysis of events, as well as trail-blazing and courageous journalism, The Zimbabwe Times will publish without fear or favour.

Quality, fairness, independence, public and national interest, as well as relevance will be the keystone of editorial policy.
“The Zimbabwe Times will not, in any way, be beholden to any sectoral interests, whether, political, business, social, religious, ethnic or racial. An innovative feature of The Zimbabwe Times will be a special column where all political parties and independent politicians are invited to have their say, as and when they wish, while also addressing questions from members of the public.”

The news site is accessible through the link thezimbabwetimes.com.
Geoff Nyarota is what most people would call the doyen of Zimbabwean, who during his stint with the Daily News, saw the paper winning an International Award for Publishing Excellence in 2003.

Nyarota is an award-winning investigative journalist, newspaper editor, and media entrepreneur, with more than 31 years of experience in Zimbabwe and southern Africa. Currently, he is a Visiting Professor of Political Studies at Bard College in Upstate New York. Previously, he was a Guest Professor in the Department of Media and Communication at the University of Oslo in Norway.

Also Under His Belt Nyarota has
Been a member of the team of African journalists who drafted the Windhoek Declaration in Namibia, back in 1991.
A Nieman Fellow at Harvard University and a research fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, also at Harvard.
Has received a total of nine international media awards for his work as a journalist and for his contribution to the development of the independent press in Zimbabwe which include
the Golden Pen of Freedom of the World Association of Newspapers (2002)
UNESCO's own Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Award, (2002).
Exposed and covered the controversial Willowgate Scandal
Wrote an equally controversial book “Against the Grain” (ZimJournalists Arise has just received a copy)
Other Zimbabwean Websites Are
www.zimonline.co.za
www.newzimbabwe.com
www.changezimbabwe.com
www.zimdaily.com
www.zimobserver.com
Tell us what you think of this launch, do you think there are too many websites on Zimbabwe or should this be seen as opening up media space that will enhance quality?.