SECTOR 4 written the following day could be so inaccurate, that one would think it was from a different press conference altogether. Panellists also tried to give explanations for this state of affairs, with some saying that this resulted from the fact that the media were practicing in a highly competitive environment. They noted that as such, some media resorted to sensationalising stories or sending incompetent reporters to cover complex issues. Other panellists observed that media managers or owners did not provide their reporters with the necessary facilities to help them in gathering news. Most journalists in Tanzania were working under very harsh conditions. It was observed that most of them did not have contracts, with some having their stories measured by ruler to determine how much they would be paid, and others simply not receiving their salaries on time. Some of the panellists said that it was inappropriate to paint a bleak picture of the media in Tanzania, however, because some media institutions were performing extremely well. “It is like the way you would find a few bad eggs in a tray”, noted one panellist. Panellists were of the view that as we approach the general elections, accuracy and objectivity are becoming the leading casualties in journalism. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator. 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 2.6 (2008 = 2.8; 2006 = 2.1) 4.3 The media cover the full spectrum of events, issues and cultures, including business/economics, cultural, local and investigative stories. Panellists were in agreement that newspapers were covering a wide range of issues across the board. One panellist observed that the coverage of issues is improving, except for the inaccuracies and lack of depth in stories. Some media houses have correspondents throughout the country but many rely on stories from urban areas. Investigative journalism is practiced but it can be very risky because some editors have a tendency of revealing the names of reporters who were doing the AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER TANZANIA 2010 43