Dar es Salaam. The Minister of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Professor Palamagamba Kabudi has promised to address the challenges of the media and journalists, including the Information and Broadcasting Policy that requires a foreign investor to own 49 percent and a native 51 percent.
Another challenge is the instability of the economy of the media, journalists lacking employment contracts, retirement benefits and the growth of communication technology that caused the audience to decrease in traditional media.
Professor Kabudi said this today, December 18, when he was speaking to media stakeholders in Dar es Salaam, saying that when President Samia Suluhu Hassan appointed him, he instructed him to address the concerns.
He has said that the media has been affected economically, including a decrease in income from advertisements and high operating costs.
“Our Information Policy of 2003 in section 3(2) directs that investors in the information sector from outside Tanzania should have a limit of 49 percent, while giving space to local investors to have 51 percent.
“The government recognizes these challenges and we will continue to find ways to collaborate with the private sector to ensure that the media provides services effectively,” he said.
He has said that the growth of information and communication technology has caused an increase in audience competition between traditional media and networks.
“This is due to the tendency of the audience to decrease from radio, television and newspapers and to use more social networks because of the urgency of getting information,” he said.
He has also said that the intelligent mind has increased the change.
He has called on the media to change their attitude in order to cope with the changes in technology in order to be successful.
Regarding the economy of journalists, he has agreed with the General Secretary of the Journalists' Union (Jowuta), Suleiman Msuya that many journalists do not have employment contracts, which makes them uncertain about the work they do.
About that: “Another is the lack of health insurance and retirement benefits. Employers, let's look for creativity, let's stay with NSSF (Social Security Agency), let's look at journalists with contracts and those without contracts to make sure that these elders are respected,” he said.
He has said that even President Samia Suluhu Hassan recognizes the existence of these challenges and that is why when he appointed him he asked him to deal with them.
“On December 10, when the President was swearing me in at Tunguu Zanzibar, he directed me to deal with the challenges of journalists,” he said.
Regarding the committee created to look at the economy of the media, he said his report is being worked on.
Explaining the success in the sector, Professor Kabudi said it included the amendment of the Information Services Law Chapter 229, saying the Government met with stakeholders and made amendments including removing the owners of printing presses in matters of scandal and incitement because they have no power to interfere content.
He has also mentioned the move to increase the freedom of journalists to not have to face criminal charges for defamation.
Earlier speaking at the meeting, the Executive Secretary of the Information Council of Tanzania (MCT), Ernest Sungura said that despite the success achieved, there are still 12 proposals they sent to improve the Law on Information Services were not implemented.
“Last year, of the 21 improvements we requested, nine were accepted and passed by Parliament, but 12 were given information that they should go to the 2003 Information Policy, so we believe that under this new leadership, the review will be accelerated,” he said.
The Chairman of the Editors' Forum (TEF), Deodatus Balile, has asked the Government to continue talking to journalists as there are still amendments that have not been completed.
“The Director of the Department of Information and Information, through section 9 and 10, still has the authority to summon or close a media outlet without going through established academic institutions. This still gives us a stain, where does this fear come from?” he has questioned.
