Community newspapers in Zimbabwe and the phenomenon of the citizen journalist-cum-professional journalist: Rethinking a concept.

This article examines the role and evolving status of citizen journalism within Zimbabwean community newspapers, focusing on how financial constraints and staff shortages have driven these newspapers to engage citizen journalists as a source of low-cost labor. It highlights the erosion of boundaries between citizen journalism—typically characterized by volunteer, non-professional contributors—and professional journalism, facilitated by ongoing training, formal education, and partial institutional integration of citizen journalists. The study finds that while citizen journalists increasingly adopt professional practices and seek remuneration, community newspapers maintain the "citizen journalism" label to sustain an exploitative model that leverages cheap labor and attracts donor funding through affiliated non-profit arms. This convergence challenges traditional distinctions between citizen and professional journalism, suggesting that citizen journalism in Zimbabwe’s community media is becoming semi-professionalized amid economic and political pressures.