This paper seeks to establish the significance of the inclusive policy framework to be adopted in the media practitioners bill. Democratic participation in the media is a function of democracy, and as such, citizen journalists and mobile journalists are complementary to the media sector. This paper will argue for an inclusive and. tolerant policy framework to clearly define, and mention citizen journalism, new media, and emerging career paths enabled by disruptive technologies in the 4IR. When seeking to co-regulate the media, the law, through the proposed Media Council of Zimbabwe, must recognise and define citizen and/or mobile journalists as media practitioners. This paper argues that excluding citizen journalists from the rights and protections offered to individuals defined as “journalists” is an indictment of their rights to freedoms of expression and use of the internet.
A group of women receiving training in Citizen Journalism at a workshop by Women Coalition of Zimbabwe 
By Richard Kawazi
Richard Kawazi is a media policy and tech enthusiast, also a multi award winning journalist with a keen interest in Experimental Media Development.