Attorney General proposes formation of Journalists Board

The Attorney General (AG), Judge Eliezer Feleshi has proposed formation of a Journalists Board that will comprise of members from the media fraternity.

In his proposal the AG said the board would be responsible for monitoring professional conduct of journalists and hold them accountable when they stray from media ethics.

Judge Feleshi was speaking during a meeting with media stakeholders in his Dodoma office on Monday June 13.

His remarks came after a statement from the chairman of the Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF), Deodatus Balile who told the AG that journalists prefer to have a single body that will oversee their [journalists] affairs instead of the current four different authorities.

Shedding light on the logic for having Journalists Board, Balile told Judge Feleshi that, among other things, as it stands a journalist can be imprisoned without even their presence during a case hearing.

"I have no problem with you having your own board, because it will ensure that if one of you goes against media ethics, you can deal with them accordingly," said Judge Feleshi.

He further added that his office is in line with the steps being taken by the media to bring the required changes.

"I am with you and President Samia Suluhu Hassan in the process of reviewing the laws governing media."nn