While addressing the house of assembly on Wednesday, Nyabani said members of the media’s welfare should be catered for to avoid them being paid by hostile agencies to write stories that do not promote the country.
“I am directing my mind to the issue of journalists.
They should also be catered for so that they report factually and that should also come out of the manner in which they are living or their remuneration.
They should not be paid to write stories that are not in the interest of the country,” said Nyabani.
Nyabani was commenting on the state of the nation address by the President earlier this month that touched on the welfare of the journalists.
He also added that journalists end up engaging in unethical corrupt operations like being bribed because the field is not well-paying.
“They say so because if they are paid, they will be in a position to report factually the truth as it is because they will be properly remunerated and as a result, they are not tempted to engage in corrupt tendencies as they disseminate information to the majority of the people,” he added.
Allegations have been levelled against journalists in the past that they are being paid to write anti-Zimbabwe stories.
Most recently, an online news agency NewsHawks has been accused of being paid by anti-government group to report negatively about the country.
Meanwhile ZANU-PF has been advocating for a patriotic bill that seeks to criminalize any citizen or journalist who tarnish the image of the country.
