Analysis of media role in bridging the information gap for environmentally sustainable development in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Mass media have been acknowledged as wielding persuasive power that can yield positive response from media consumers. For sustainable development realisation, communities need adequate information about their environment and their role in protecting it. This paper analysed the media’s role in bridging the information gap about sustainable development. It employed a critical discourse analysis approach in analysing purposively sampled newspaper articles. Findings indicate that the environment story in media is infrequent and politicised. We recommend targeted training in enterprise journalism in which journalists are coached on innovative pre-crisis and post-crisis reporting, the nexus of the media, environment and sustainable development.

Keywords: Media, sustainable development story, environmental sustainability, social innovation, economic transformation