Tanzania
lot of issues in informal settings such as in dalalas[1], it is still difficult to do so in open forums without fear of repercussions. However,
there was also consensus that perhaps due to the tolerance of the
current Government, a lot is now being discussed freely, more than
ever before.
It was also felt that the media was in the forefront in pushing the
frontiers of freedom of expression and of the press by being very
bold and courageous in exposing scandals, some involving very senior Government officials including Ministers who have been forced
to resign as a result of the exposés. It was also agreed that even
though courage for telling the truth is still lacking among journalists, the journalism profession is gaining credibility and respect
among the public. However, the panellists were of the view that in
the media, freedom of expression is also hampered by interference
in the editorial independence by media owners or publishers in both
private and public media. It was also felt that at times journalists
working for the public (state) media might be better placed as the
editorial policy is quite clear and the security of employment is
better than in the private media, where an editor or journalists
can be summarily dismissed if the owner is displeased with what is
published or aired.
Foot note
The Coalition on the Right to Information was formed in December 2006 and
comprises of 11 media and human rights organizations which have been coordinating stakeholders’ recommendations on the Right to Information and Media
Services Bills. The Coalition is being led by the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT)
and includes the Media Institute of Southern Africa – Tanzania (MISA-TAN), the
Tanganyika Law Society (TLS), the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), the
Media Owners Association of Tanzania (MOAT), the Tanzania Media Women’s Association (TAMWA), the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP), the Tanzania Legal Education Trust (TANLET), and the National Organisation for Legal
Assistance (NOLA). Others are Article 19 and the Commonwealth Human Rights
Initiatives (CHRI).
[1]

[1]

Dala Dalas – public buses

African Media Barometer - Tanzania 2008			

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