The Sunday Mail
Neville Dube
A group of students from Queen Elizabeth Girls High School last week got an opportunity to tour the Zimpapers stable, to get an appreciation of the largest integrated media house operations.
This was part of the Zimpapers Junior Media Club mentoring programme which aims to equip students with critical media skills by providing theory and practical training.
Zimpapers aims to groom future media professionals as well as contribute towards Sustainable Development Goal Five, which promotes gender equality.
The students were addressed by veterans of the profession who also hold senior managerial positions within the organisation.
They got a brief history of Zimpapers, dating back to the pre-independence era from the group’s Editorial Executive, Mr William Chikoto.
Soon after, the students toured Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN) studios where the learners were taken through the processes of producing content for television.
The next stop was The Sunday Mail, The Herald, H-Metro and Kwayedza newsrooms. They were appraised on the papers’ operations.
From the sub-editors’ division, the students also got to understand how newspaper pages are designed.
“We want you to see and appreciate what a newsroom looks like and how a radio or television station is designed. You may not have enough time to do more practical lessons today, but the tour will be an insight and will push you to do more research.
“With the little resources we have, we will be spending time with you. We want to reach out as part of our corporate social responsibility.
“There will be more coaching and mentoring, so it is a long journey that we will be walking with you. Relax and enjoy,” said Mr Chikoto during his address.
The team also toured Star FM studios and the Printing Press Room. Beaming with excitement after the experience, Nothando Mhlanga who is in Form One said this was a career guidance process to cherish.
“I found myself more interested in photography. I really want to pursue photography as I grow,” she said.
Form Four student, Tanyaradzwa Manhare said she was impressed with the tour.
“I got to know about the processes of news gathering and production. First, we went to ZTN and got to know about the archive where footage is kept. We also went to the Control Room. It was exciting to see how news is broadcast to the viewers.
“We are also happy to know that a show called ‘New Edge’ targeting students like us will be coming soon. But the most exciting thing is that we are going to be participating in it,” she said.
