Journalists still face challenges despite reforms- Survey

This is part of the findings of a Twaweza brief entitled ‘Sauti za Waandishi’ (Voices of Journalists), a survey of Tanzanian media practitioners that involved 1,202 practicing journalists, editors and bloggers working in the country.

Among the findings which the organization released early this week in Dar es Salaam states that: “Journalists have pointed an accusing finger at government officials whom they accuse as the main source of threats to their work.”

While presenting the report, Twaweza executive director Aidan Eyakuze said that: “Most journalists interviewed revealed their feelings that media in Tanzania does not have a lot of freedom to enable them operate independently so as to make a decent living like other professionals.”

A three-month research that was carried between September and November 2023 was conducted through one-on-one interviews as well as telephone interviews and involved a panel of researchers picked from various media societies.

These were the Union of Tanzania Press Clubs, Tanzania Media Women’s Association, Media Institute of Southern Africa-Tanzania and Jamii Forums.

According to the study, journalists’ experiences of risk are widespread and when interviewed half of them confirmed to researchers that they had been threatened, harassed or assaulted and sometimes detailed by the law enforcers on orders of high authorities.

Similar number of women journalists who were interviewed said that “they are not always treated fairly compared to their male counterparts and had experienced sexual harassment or abuse and had working equipment or materials seized from them.”

Other findings are related to personal gains for journalists in Tanzania which is seen to be alarming as most have less permanent forms of employment, hence do not receive employment benefits such as insurance and paid leave.

Two out of 10 who were interviewed described their employment status as permanent compared to six out of 10 who said it’s temporary while others said it was occasional, an aspect that is hard to make a decent living from journalism profession.

According to the researchers, some members of the press have gone as far as persuading their children not to join the profession, knowing well that it has a dark future.

In recent years, Tanzanian media landscape has witnessed some challenges, including mysterious disappearance of Azory Gwanda, a journalist who worked for Mwananchi Communications Limited who went missing from his work station in Rufiji District, Coast Region in mid-2016 and his whereabouts is still unknown.