School of Journalism and Mass Communication

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Media In Tanzania’s Transition To Multiparty Democracy - An Assessment of Policy and Ethical Issues
(2009-02-18) Rioba, Ayub
This study reviews and analyses the factors that have influenced media developments in Tanzania during the transition from one party socialist system to multiparty democracy. With a strong focus on policy as well as ethical issues, the study dwells more on how policy formulation in Tanzania has affected the role the mass media have played - and continue to play - in the new economic, political and social transformation. Chapter two gives a bird's eye view of the media sector in Tanzania, especially events and issues that have shaped the sector's policies before and during the transition period, and how these, in turn, have impacted on the effectiveness of the media industry in playing its democratic roles today. Chapter three addresses the contradiction that exists in the values that inform political and economic reforms on one hand and the media sector on the other. The premise of this position is that economic and political reforms do not occur in a vacuum because they tend to affect a system of existing values and practices in a society in which they are implemented. Whereas Tanzania has, in the last two decades, embarked on reforms that support pluralistic democracy, there appear to be a conspicuous - though ominous - resistance to reforming the media regulatory framework. Nevertheless, even the existing draconian laws have not helped to promote ethical journalism as one would have thought. The chapter also gives an assessment of information (and media) policy formulation from post-independence period (1961) to the present time showing yet another contradiction that exists in reforming the media sector. Whereas the new Information and Broadcasting Policy of 2003 explicitly emphasises the need to promote press freedom and access to information - including the need to repeal and replace the current draconian laws with an appropriate media Act - the government has continued to drag its feet, suggesting that it would still wish to tame the media. Chapter four focuses on some crucial issues relating to the role of media in a democracy, which have characterized debates in Tanzania. They include: the quest for Freedom of Information Act in Tanzania, the role of media in promoting peace, and the role of media in promoting good governance. The Fifth chapter, which resulted from a separate empirical study, examines perceptions of Tanzanian journalists on such issues as the role of media in a democracy as well as sources of their ethical convictions. Chapter Six gives a brief review of the role of the Media Council of Tanzania and underscores the importance of self-regulation as an effective way of promoting media responsibility and press freedom in a democracy.
Media Accountability in Tanzania's Multiparty Democracy: Does Self-regulation Work?
(Tampere University Press, 2012) Rioba, Ayub
In this research I set out to interrogate the effectiveness of an independent and voluntary media council, in spearheading self-regulation of media in a young democracy. My focus was on the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT), which was introduced in 1995 after the country had embarked on liberal democratic reforms. While many countries in Africa are turning to Tanzania to learn from the experience of the MCT in spearheading self-regulation of media, there appears to be a conspicuous lack of comprehensive knowledge about the effectiveness of the mechanism in ensuring media accountability. For example, in which ways do historical realities in Africa support notions such as liberal democracy and self-regulation that were re-introduced to Africa in the early 1990s? Or is there any evidence which suggests that self-regulation, spearheaded by a voluntary media council like MCT, can be effective in promoting media freedom and accountability in a young democracy like Tanzania? What do journalists and other media stakeholders think about the effectiveness of an independent, voluntary and non-statutory council like the MCT in spearheading self-regulation? Five key conclusions emerge from the findings of this research. Firstly, most respondents view liberal democracy which has characterized Tanzania s reform process since mid 1980s and 1990s as inimical to transformative and liberatory needs of Tanzanians in general because it has largely responded to the dictates of international financial institutions as well as donors. Secondly, most respondents do not differentiate the functions of media in general from the role of media in democracy although they demonstrate a clear understanding of the difficulties of their role in the new democratic dispensation. Thirdly, most respondents in all the three approaches of this study view media laws, ownership interference, politicians as well as corporate sector s influence on their work as major obstacles to their role in promoting and sustaining democracy. In general respondents further express concern about irresponsible journalism caused by lack of professionalism, poor pay, corruption and conflict of interests which, according to some of them, can be addressed by either government intervention or through a statutory media council. Fourthly, although respondents generally view MCT as a necessary mechanism to foster self-regulation as opposed to government control they still view it as ineffective and in need of teeth to make its decisions binding. Fifthly, although the MCT seems to have played a significant role in spearheading self-regulation of media as cases brought before it for arbitration demonstrate, its effectiveness seems to be limited.
Creating a participatory communication model of engagement of local communities to enhance development effectiveness in Tanzania
(2013) Kalugendo, Jasson; MacLeod, Paul
Current development communication strongly recommends an approach based on the initiatives of communities through community-based organizations. Unfortunately government policies are unaware to the research trends and government agencies tend to dictate to rural communities what projects are to be initiated and how they are carried out. This paper has analysed three case studies of projects in Tanzania started and carried out with the initiatives of the people in community organizations and shows the effectiveness of this approach. The study also shows the contribution that independent educational radio to these initiatives of the rural communities
Impacts of Poverty and Lack of Education on Radio Communication for Forest Conservation in Tanzania
(Centre for Democracy, Research and Development (CEDRED), Nairobi, Kenya., 2019-06-24) Zacharia, Malima
This paper examines how poverty and lack of education among rural-based citizens living adjacent to forests in Tanzania impact on the efforts of the radio to communicate information on forest in a bid to influence community members to be responsive to forest conservation efforts. The study was guided by three research questions: To what extent do the communities view the impacts of deforestation in Tanzania? To what extent does education hampers the efforts of radio communication for forest conservation in Tanzania? How does poverty affects the communities to put into use forest conservation education provided by the radio in Tanzania? Data collection entailed content analysis of a series of ‘Urithi Wetu’ (Our Heritage) programme on TBC Radio, questionnaires and Focus Group Discussions. Yet, the study established that, contrary to the existing findings from different researchers that the radio is the most powerful mass-medium in creating environmental awareness and the most powerful in influencing the citizens to conserve forests, factors such as poverty and low levels of education among citizens living adjacent to forests in the rural areas limited the power of radio to influence conservation behaviour in Rufiji and elsewhere in Tanzania. It was established that many of the citizens with low level of education lacked the purchasing power to buy radio sets and, hence, had no access to radio broadcasting. As a result, they lacked forest conservation education and continued harvesting of forests in an unsustainable. It was also established that the poverty level of the rural inhabitants limited their capacity to shift to modern agriculture and their power to embrace the use of improved woodfuel saving stoves and improved charcoal stoves. In consequence, the majority of continued to over-rely on firewood and charcoal energy. As such, the government and other stakeholders should endeavour to empower the citizens economically first and then educate them. The farmers must first-of-all be supported to get modern agricultural production implements such as tractors and other agricultural inputs before being informed about stopping wanton cutting down of trees.
Radio Communication for Forest Conservation in Tanzania: a SWOC Analysis
(The BRILL, 2020-05-23) Zacharia, Malima; Andindilile, Michael
This study investigated the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges (SWOC) associated with the power of radio in communicating forests information to enhance community responsiveness to forest conservation in Tanzania. Data collection entailed the analysis of the content of a series of Urithi Wetu (Our Heritage) programme produced and aired by the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) radio, conducting interviews with key informants, administering questionnaires with citizens living adjacent to forests, and holding focus group discussions (FGDs) with the villagers in the study area. The study established that, to some extent, radio presents some opportunities for easy communication of forest conservation information in a bid to influence communities to take the intended conservation action. On the other hand, the study found that factors such as poor packaging of forest information, lack of participation of the rural-based citizens in the programmes, and poverty among community members limited the power of the radio to influence effectively citizens to conserve forests.
The Role of Radio Surveillance in the Fight Against Deforestation in Rufiji, Tanzania
(Journal of the Geographical Association of Tanzania, 2020-06-30) Zacharia, Malima
This paper examines the role of radio surveillance in the fight against deforestation in Rufiji, Tanzania. It presents the findings of a study that was guided by three research questions: (i) What techniques are used by radio programme producers in alerting people on the dangers of deforestation in Tanzania? (ii) How useful and helpful is forest information communicated through the radio to Rufiji community members? (iii) To what extent does the radio influence forest conservation behaviour among community members in Rufiji? Data were collected from a series of Urithi Wetu programme on TBC Taifa, and its content was analysed qualitatively to yield input that depicts the perceived role of radio surveillance. Complementary data were collected using questionnaires and focus group discussions. The findings reveal that the radio has largely failed to use instrumental surveillance function of the environment to empower community members find alternative sources of income generation and refrain from actions that are detrimental to forest conservation efforts. In fact, the findings expose the relative limitation of the success of the radio in both scope and intensity in using several techniques to make its audiences aware of impending and prevailing threats associated with TBC-Taifa tree-felling. Thus, remedial measures would include a shift in focus to solution-based programmes and integration of the views of the community members in radio programmes to optimise the impact on the target audiences.
Tourists’ Information Queries in Online Travel Forums: A Comparative Analysis of Visitors to Tanzania and South Korea.
(University of Dar es Salaam, 2020-07-22) Malisa, Godlisten Godfrey
A person visiting a destination needs information about the place to better have a well-planned trip and satisfied with the trip. This study attempts to examine tourists’ information queries in online travel forums by comparing USA visitors to Tanzania and those to South Korea. The study examined and compared travel information needs (functional and hedonic), the number of replies to information needs, and the duration of membership in travel forums of USA visitors to Tanzania and South Korea. Data were collected through content analysis. For empirical examination; posts for queries on Tanzania and South Korea made by USA visitors that were posted in the TripAdvisor travel forum between 1st May 2019 and 31st July 2019 were collected (n=200) and analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative content analysis was employed to capture the numerical data and thematic content analysis dealt with major themes in the query posts. The results reveal that there was no statistical significance with regards to travel information needs sought before traveling, duration of membership in the travel forum, and planning horizon. However, the USA tourists show differences concerning the number of replies, their level of the contributor, and the number of words with USA tourists coming to Tanzania having a greater number of replies and number of words as well as being at a higher level of contributor compared to those going to South Korea. USA tourists show differences concerning themes; amenities are motivated by souvenirs and need for communication services for visitors to Tanzania and South Korea. Itinerary focuses on trip plans driven by seasons of viewing wild attractions in Tanzania, and trip plans are motivated by cultural attractions in South Korea. Accessibility is driven by the need for service providers for intra-destination movements in Tanzania, and visitors to South Korea are motivated by the connection between the attractions. USA visitors to Tanzania are motivated to experience wildlife attractions and cultural attractions to South Korea. Accommodation in Tanzania is more of a remote place to stay and well-connected places to lodge near attractions for visitors to South Korea. The results suggest that DMOs managers and marketers in tourism promotion agencies have to increase visibility on travel forums to provide authentic and credible information to potential visitors. DMO managers should focus much on tourists’ primary information needs – functional needs because they significantly contribute to travel plans decisions. The online information searching behavior, travel and hospitality forums, social media, and mobile applications use in Tanzania still need more analytical studies to come up with results that may aid in improving marketing strategies to grab the global tourists’ market hence increase the number of visitors.

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