Here to stay
We turned four this week.
It seems like yesterday when we hit the streets on July 5, 2018 with a pledge to be a marketplace of ideas and the go to publication on business, finance and the economy after identifying a huge gap in the market.
Few gave us a chance with some declaring that we would not live to see the first anniversary—the fate that befell a number of new publications in the tough media environment.
Our launch, some weeks before the make-or-break polls, could have surprised observers as some investors usually sit on the fence and come in once the coast is clear.
We have had hits and misses with more of the former than the latter.
We were the first to report on challenges on the foreign currency auction system and its attendant allotment backlogs which companies blame for the routing of the local currency as firms go on the alternative markets to sustain their operations.
The authorities put a brave face saying all was well. As they say lies have short legs and they eventually caved in, admitting there was an allotment backlog. It would set self-imposed deadlines to clear the backlog which it has missed on three occasions.
We have held authorities to account, especially as the economy took a turn in the opposite direction despite claims by fiscal authorities that ‘zvakarongeka’ (it’s all in order).
Where our readers used to wait for Thursday to get a feel of the paper, we have revamped our website where we post breaking news to give our valued readers news on the go. We have increased our presence on social media, introducing a WhatsApp group where our subscribers receive breaking news.
We have gone digital and have been publishing our e-paper for the past two years. It has a wider reach giving our advertisers value for money.
We are rejigging the paper, introducing new sections to cater for our expanding clientele.
We have survived throughout the tumultuous Covid-19 period which claimed the scalp of many companies. We withstood the pressure through the support from our partners—advertisers and subscribers.
We restate our pledge to uphold journalistic ethics to ensure that our stories are not only credible but position Business Times as the paper of record.
We restate that we will not be pliable to the whims of political and business actors. Business Times and all its platforms will be a marketplace of ideas.
We are grateful for the support we have received in the past four years and we invite corporates to walk with us in this journey. Our salmon colour gives us the confidence of a rosy outlook once the dust has settled. Put it bluntly, the Business Times has withstood the test of time and we are here to stay.
