HARARE - There is absolutely nothing surprising about the fact that the Daily News is the only national daily newspaper that is growing its readership in the country — as shown in our front page story of today.

Just to summarise the facts, the readership of the Herald and NewsDay plummeted precipitously over the past year as that of the Daily News was rising — confirming our position as Zimbabwe’s most popular and loved media brand.

The obvious question to ask is why is this so?

The answer, frankly, and without sounding too boastful, is easy.

It’s because the Daily News is doing what it has always done best — and which cannot be copied by any other media brand in Zimbabwe — which is to tell it like it is, without fear or favour!

It is very clear that when the Daily News was shut down savagely, unjustly and maliciously in September 2003, this created a massive information vacuum in the market.

While competitors tried to capitalise on our forced absence from news stalls to the best of their abilities, they simply couldn’t deliver what the Daily News had been delivering before it was closed, and is now delivering since it was re-launched — because our formula is unique and not duplicatable.

Where others are only too happy to play the expedient and fawning game with corrupt and thuggish authorities, we take pride in our societal role — which is to shine our extremely bright torch in all the dark corners that the enemies of democracy play in.

Zimbabweans love us for this.

Of course, we are paying a high price for this as it has hardened the hearts of these enemies of democracy against us, not that this is new or surprising for that matter.

To this end, the state mostly does not advertise in the Daily News, and its goons are falling over each other to sue us in the misguided and ill-considered quest to try and bankrupt us out of the market.

And where a few charlatans are literally trying to sue us off our pants, millions of Zimbabweans are standing solidly behind us and urging us to remain resolute in our convictions that a just Zimbabwe is achievable and that good will always ultimately triumph over evil.

So, today as we say a big thank you to all our readers and advertisers, we re-state our commitment to you and vow that we will never give you crass propaganda as some of our competitors do. For, you are neither naive nor stupid.

Let us toast to the Daily News and look forward to the future with confidence. - Staff Writer