Content producers have been encouraged to incorporate sign language in their productions to cater for the deaf.
This came out during a media indaba held at the National Art Gallery in Bulawayo, which was hosted by the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Thursday.
A deaf participant who made his submission with the assistance of a sign language interpreter at the Indaba noted that most content that is produced in video format does not incorporate sign language which makes the deaf miss out on important information.
“I am a content creator who produces content in sign language. I realised that there was a gap as far as access to information for us the deaf is concerned. Most local television stations do not have sign language interpreters and we tend to miss out on a lot of important information,” he highlighted.
“Even during the Covid-19 era, we were mostly left behind because there was no sign language interpretation for important messages. Right now we are headed towards elections and the same is likely to happen. It would be helpful for broadcasters to include sign language interpreters for important information so that no one is left behind.”
The Indaba also touched on the role that new media technologies have played in the distribution of news and how media organisations are adapting.
Zimbabwe Media Commission Executive Secretary, Godwin Phiri, reiterated on the importance of adapting to the use of new media technologies for media organisations.
“There is a past that was glorious at some time but that past is slowly fading away and if we don’t adapt we will sink. People are no longer interested in buying hardcopy newspapers, they now consume news on their electronic gadgets. That on its own should show you that this is a glorious past and we need to move forward from it,” Phiri said.
Sunday Mail editor and Zimbabwe Editor’s Forum Vice President, Victoria Ruzvidzo, spoke on the impact of social media on journalism.
She said social media has been both a blessing and a curse as now the media has to be on the pulse to get news so that people are informed of what is happening on time.
“We have shifted from a time when we were custodians of breaking news. We are now in an era where people break news on social media and we follow through. We go to sources and authorities to follow-up and get finer details to what would already be circulating on social media. We are now doing “Day-2 news” where we do follow up on events. It is quite a shift in the media industry,” she said.
