Journalist Guide
This guide explains how journalists can earn money by submitting news on IBZIM.
Journalists on IBZIM focus on reporting real, timely, and original stories related to entities listed on the platform. The goal is to publish accurate news that adds value, not to rush low-quality submissions.
Getting Started
Anyone can start the process by creating an IBZIM account. However, before you can earn as a journalist, you must verify your identity.
Verification includes submitting a short video, a valid ID, and an EcoCash number that matches the name on your ID. This helps prevent fraud and ensures fair payouts.
Submitting News
News submissions are made for entities that already exist on:
ibzim.com/profiles
Each accepted submission can earn between $2 and $20, depending on several factors.
How Rewards Are Determined
Editors consider the length, quality, truthfulness, and relevance of your story. Well-structured writing with clear facts is rewarded more highly.
Original stories that have not been published by other media outlets can earn the highest payouts, especially if they include at least one live photo (1080p) or a video. AI-generated content is strictly not allowed.
Editing and Penalties
If editors need to heavily rewrite or fix your story before publishing, your reward will be reduced. The goal is to encourage clean, publish-ready submissions.
Any detected use of AI will immediately disqualify the story from payment.
Disqualification Rules
You will not be paid if your story already exists on news.ibzim.com or if it is found to be AI-generated.
To prevent duplicate submissions, only the first qualifying submission of a story is rewarded.
Limits and Payouts
Journalists can submit up to four stories per week. This limit exists to encourage proper research and avoid spam.
Payouts are available once your balance reaches $50 and can only be requested once every 30 days.
Legal, Payments, and AI Disclaimer
All submitted stories are subject to editorial review. Submission does not guarantee publication or payment.
IBZIM operates a strict no-AI policy for journalist submissions. Any detected use of AI-generated or AI-assisted content will result in immediate disqualification of the story from payment, regardless of quality.
Payments are awarded at the sole discretion of IBZIM editors based on originality, accuracy, and effort. IBZIM reserves the right to reduce, withhold, or revoke rewards if information is later found to be false, misleading, or plagiarized.
Providing false identity information or attempting to bypass submission limits may lead to account suspension or permanent removal from the journalist program.