are also increasingly presented in disparaging ways by senior government officials and the media. The operating environment for the media and journalists has deteriorated drastically in recent years and at least four newspapers have been shut down since 2017. Restrictive regulations, use of hefty fines and arbitrary arrests are some of the issues facing journalists. In addition, journalist Azory Gwanda has been missing since November 2017. Prior to his abduction and disappearance, he had written several articles documenting the murders of several local officials and police officers. His disappearance has had a chilling effect on the media. Journalists and news media have been forced to practise self-censorship. The sense of fear is not only limited to the media alone but also to members of the public. People are wary of exchanging political views freely and this caution has also extended to online conversations. Other challenges, such as the declining standards of reporting and general corruption, also face the media. Specifically, fairness and accuracy in reporting are declining due to several issues such as inadequate training, the pressure of deadlines and the departure of senior journalists. To compound this situation, Tanzanian journalists are generally not adequately paid. Most journalists do not have an employment contract and are therefore not entitled to most employment benefits. Without a union to take their grievances to, most journalists resort to corruption. Brown envelope journalism, a practice whereby monetary incentive is given to journalists to make them write a positive story or kill a negative story, is growing in the country. Despite the sad state of affairs in the political landscape and media, there is hope. Although civil society is citing intensifying government pressure throughout the year in the form of threats, investigations, detentions and restrictive regulations, Tanzanian civil society organisations (CSOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) remain vibrant. Civil society often comes together to lobby against media laws which have a negative impact on media freedoms. The Coalition on the Right to Information has managed to mobilise diverse CSOs to lead strategic litigations against restrictive media laws. The Tanzanian Human Rights Defenders Coalition and the East African Civil Society Organisations’ Forum are also known to take up media law causes. A recent example is when, in early 2019, three Tanzanian NGOs filed an application for a judgment on the Media Services Act to the East African Court of Justice (EACJ). The EACJ ruled that multiple sections of the Media Services Act restrict media freedom and freedom of expression and called on the Tanzanian government to repeal the act. Tanzania is heading towards general elections in 2020. Since its transition from a one-party state in the early 1990s to a multi-party system, Tanzania has held relatively peaceful elections. However, with the current increasing political polarisation, there is a lot at stake in these upcoming elections. Like in other elections around the world, there is increasing use of professional bots and trolls on social media to manipulate opinions and free speech. This online misinformation combined with political populism and regulative changes, contributes to endangering the standard of free and fair elections that Tanzania is recognised for in the East African region. The panel discussion took place at the White Sands Hotel, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in May 2019. 8 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER TANZANIA 2019