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

Discussing Zimbabwean politics would be insignificant without a comprehensive analysis of The Herald’s relationship with the country’s political order. The newspaper has historically taken a supportive discourse to Mugabe’s policies, evidently attracting coverage disapproval from the president’s opponents. This paper examines The Herald’s role in contributing to the political endurance of President Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party. By analyzing articles sampled from the paper’s print and online editions, it traces the origins of the broadsheet’s pro-ZANU-PF editorial positions, scrutinizing content and critically probing not only the motive but also the impact of the newspaper’s strong allegiance to the revolutionary party. 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. The paper has become so important 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.