Newspapers here to stay, says Zimpapers Chief

George Maponga in Masvingo

The chief executive officer of Zimbabwe’s largest integrated and diversified media house, Zimpapers, has said it is too early to write off the hard copy newspaper.

Mr Pikirayi Deketeke said he is optimistic about the future of hard-copy newspaper editions.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing strategic planning workshop organised by the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services in Masvingo.

Various stakeholders in the media industry are attending the weeklong workshop that kicked off on Monday.

The workshop seeks to craft strategies on how the media industry can keep the nation informed.

Mr Deketeke said using what is obtaining in the region, indications are that the hard copy newspaper has a future.

“I think the printed newspaper has a future, even though it is facing some challenges. I think the newspaper is here to stay,” said Mr Deketeke.

“I don’t know when the ultimate collapse, if ever it will happen, is going to come but what we are seeing in reader patterns from other markets in the region and the world over is that some are beginning to see a turn-around in terms of more people reading the newspaper.”

The Zimpapers CEO pointed out that going forward, his company will continue to improve its newspaper content to stay relevant and meet the expectations of various readers.

“We will continue to invest in our content to make sure that we appeal to more readers and also invest in the distribution of the newspaper so that it reaches all the corners of the market.

“We are doing our best to make sure that our newspapers remain relevant, whether it is a question of content, design or penetrating new markets,” said Mr Deketeke.

He said the ongoing construction boom in various parts of the country has seen investments being made in the mining industry and new settlements, which is a market for the newspapers.

Zimpapers is the publisher of the country’s biggest daily newspaper, The Herald, as well as country’s biggest weekly paper by circulation, The Sunday Mail. It also publishes Chronicle, Sunday News, The Manica Post, Business Weekly, Umthunywa, Kwayedza, Suburban, B-Metro and H-Metro.

The company also owns four radio stations across Zimbabwe and runs a television station, ZTN.