Al Jazeera Journalism Review
Derick Matsengarwodzi is a freelance journalist and author based in Harare, Zimbabwe, writing for regional and international publications.
Writer’s Articles
Guns, Threats, and Poverty: The Daily Struggles of an African Journalist
The welfare of African journalists continues to deteriorate, from poor wages to security risks, arrests, detention, and even death. This common, ongoing trend generally affects the wellbeing of journalists during their discharge of duties, and these overlooked difficulties tend to affect the quality and output of their work.
Are Podcasts the Future of African Broadcasting?
The surge of podcasts across Africa is a burgeoning trend, encompassing a wide array of themes and subjects, and swiftly expanding across various nations.
Fighting Misinformation and Disinformation to Foster Social Governance in Africa
Experts in Africa are using various digital media tools to raise awareness and combat the increasing usage of misinformation and disinformation to manipulate social governance.
Artificial Intelligence's Potentials and Challenges in the African Media Landscape
How has the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence impacted newsroom operations, job security and regulation in the African media landscape? And how are journalists in Africa adapting to these changes?
Silent Suffering: The Impact of Sexual Harassment on African Newsrooms
Sexual harassment within newsrooms and the broader journalistic ecosystem is affecting the quality and integrity of journalistic work, ultimately impacting the organisation’s integrity and revenue.
Colonial legacy of surveillance: hidden world of surveillance technology in the African continent
African nations’ expenditure on surveillance technology from China, Europe and the US is a direct threat to the media, democracy and freedom of speech, and an enduring legacy of colonial surveillance practices.
Why are Zimbabwe’s elections always surrounded by media controversy?
Election season in Zimbabwe has long been shrouded in controversy, with intimidation of opposition activists and journalists, combined with disorganisation at the ballots creating a perfect storm for chaos. This year was no different
What does Zimbabwe’s new ‘Patriot Bill’ mean for journalists?
As Zimbabwe heads into elections this week, a new law dubbed the ‘Patriot Bill’ will further criminalise journalism
What Zimbabwe’s news rooms must learn from global media closures
A flourishing media needs more than just capital and a few good ideas - it needs innovation
Why won’t Zimbabwe’s media report truthfully on the Gold Mafia?
When it comes to government corruption, mainstream media only reports what the government tells it to - as can be seen by their response to a damning Al Jazeera documentary
‘They called us agents of imperialism’ - remembering the bombing of Zimbabwe’s Daily News
Twenty-two years after the bombing of a newspaper printing plant in January 2001, the perpetrators are still at large - and a state-sanctioned assault on a free press continues
On Zimbabwean journalists and American democracy
A Zimbabwean journalist invited by the US embassy in Harare to ‘monitor’ the US Midterms has been labelled a ‘Western spy’ by some people at home
The trials, tribulations and irreplaceability of political cartoonists
How political cartoons have evolved in recent decades and are now shaping public discourse in southern Africa
When covering refugee stories makes you a figure of hate
A wave of anti-migrant sentiment is gripping South Africa and those journalists covering it, who are migrants themselves, have become a particular target
If it’s clear who is funding them, community radio stations can transform lives
Community radio has begun to flourish in Zimbabwe in recent years. But for stations to truly support the communities they serve, it is imperative that they are transparent about who owns them