HARARE – The Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) has called on media organisations to adopt clear artificial intelligence (AI) policies, warning that the rapid growth of digital technologies presents both opportunities and risks for journalism.
Speaking at the official opening of an AI and journalism workshop, Zimbabwe Media Commission Director of Media Development and Governance, Nyaradzo Makombe Hazangwi said journalists must uphold ethical standards and human oversight to safeguard public trust.
“We are meeting at a moment where the job of a journalist in Zimbabwe looks very different from what it did 10 years ago. AI tools can now draft a first cut of a story, transcribe a two-hour interview in minutes and generate graphics without a designer,” she said.
She said the role of the media remains unchanged despite technological advances.
“It hasn’t changed at its core: inform the public accurately, hold power to account, and give a voice to people who are often ignored. What has changed is how you do that,” she said.
With audiences increasingly consuming news on digital platforms and social media, the Commission said journalists must become “filters, verifiers and trusted guides” in an online environment saturated with information.
She said AI should make work easier rather than replace journalism, enabling reporters to spend more time on investigative reporting and in-depth analysis.
“The goal is not to replace journalists, but to free you from repetitive work so you can spend more time on reporting and analysis,” the Commission said.
Hazangwi also said newsrooms must guard against the dangers associated with AI, including misinformation, fabricated content and algorithmic bias.
“How do we avoid publishing AI hallucinations? How do we disclose when AI was used? How do we stop AI from amplifying stereotypes about women, rural communities or political actors in Zimbabwe? Ethics can’t be an afterthought. It has to be built into your workflow,” she said.
To address these challenges, ZMC urged media houses to develop AI governance frameworks that clearly define acceptable uses of the technology and establish mandatory human verification before publication.
She said they are working to support media organisations in developing AI policies that balance innovation with professional standards.
“The Zimbabwe Media Commission’s role is to support you in that. Not to police you, but to ensure that as media evolves, it does so in a way that serves the public interest and upholds the standards Zimbabweans deserve,” she said.
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