Propping up propaganda? Exploring the Role of The Herald in Strengthening ZANU-PF’s political position

This paper examines The Herald newspaper’s role in safeguarding the seemingly unparalleled longevity of Zimbabwe’s ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party. Through an analysis of a sample of stories from both the paper’s print and online editions, the study traces the origins of the broadsheet’s ostensibly unflagging pro-ZANU-PF editorial positions, turning to article analysis to critically probe not only the motive but also the impact of the newspaper’s assumed open allegiance to the revolutionary party. In a nation believed battered by perceived state brutality and widening political differences, The Herald has been accused of significantly influencing the pace of dictatorship while guardedly manipulating information to prop up President Robert Mugabe’s party. So important has the paper become over the years that its often uncompromising, one-sided style of reporting has earned it praise among militant ZANU-PF hardliners while bitterly attracting widespread criticism from critics of the long-serving party.