Journalists ask lawmakers to focus on national interests

Dar es Salaam. Journalists in the country have asked Members of Parliament to discuss a bill amending the Media Services Act of 2016 by looking at the broad interests of the nation and the media industry.

This comes as the government is expecting to table the bill in Parliament.

Speaking to The Citizen, the journalists said the MPs were not supposed to make decisions with the aim of controlling journalists but were supposed to repeal all the sections that suppress freedom of information and expression.

The Chairman of the Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF), Mr Deodatus Balile, said he believes the Bill will be tabled in Parliament, whose sessions begin at the end of this month.

The optimism follows the promise made by the Minister for Information, Communications, and Information Technology, Mr Nape Nnauye, when he met with media stakeholders.

Mr Balile said he is optimistic that by next month, the Act amendments will have been made and various procedures for making regulations and creating the required instruments will begin.

“Our desire is to see the bill tabled in Parliament after it was previously not possible. We are hopeful that the government will uphold the promise President Samia Suluhu Hassan made to the journalists,” said Mr Balile.

A journalist from Mwananchi newspaper, Mr Ephraim Bahemu, asked MPs who will deliberate on the Act amendments to consider the broader interests of the nation.

He said for a long time there had been a culture of a large percentage of the government’s proposals sailing through even though they suppressed the relevant sector, hence calling for the situation to be different.

“I know that before discussing something, MPs from different parties meet and share their views on what will be tabled, but on the issue of the media bill, I would like them to pay more attention to pro-media and journalists’ interests,” said Mr Bahemu.

Another journalist from The Citizen, Ms Beatrice Materu, implored the lawmakers to repeal all sections that suppress journalism and urged them to promote democracy, transparency, and accountability in various sectors.

She suggested that the level of education in journalism, which now stands at the level of a diploma, be upgraded in order to foster respect and professionalism.

A journalist, Mr Abdala Jamal from Mchambuzi Media, said he believes the envisaged amendments will get rid of a multitude of hurdles the industry faces.

Among the sections that are recommended to be amended is Section 19, which is on the existence of the accreditation board that will certify the person who is eligible to work as a journalist or cancel the certification if he/she violates professional ethics.

He, however, cautioned on the multiplicity of bodies, such as the accreditation board and the Independent Press Council each having its own authority and its own training fund for journalists.

“I would prefer one independent press council, one accreditation board and one training fund and not each having its own authority, let’s reduce a multitude of media bodies,” said Abdala