Tutors urged to be conversant with media legislations
Tutors of the Dar es Salaam School of Journalism (DSJ) who attended a training on media laws organized by the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) pose in a group photo with the facilitator of the training Advocate Fulgence Massawe (second from left seated) and officials from the Council, Programme Officer Saumu Mwalimu (left seated) and Assistant Programme Officer Tumbi Kiganja ( seated right).
Tutors of journalism training institutions have been urged to learn and understand legislations on media.
Facilitating during a training for tutors of the Dar es Salaam School of Journalism (DSJ), Advocate Fulgence Massawe, said it was pertinent for them to be conversant with media laws as they train and produce journalists who will practice in media outlets.
Advocate Massawe from the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) told the participants of the training that “since you are tutors who have been imparting knowledge on legal matters, it is important for you to be well versed as you are the ones shaping those who will practice journalism.
The training held on March 11, 2022 was organised by the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT).
“You should read and closely follow developments and changes of the laws”, Advocate Massawe said adding that MCT and other stakeholders have been immensely working to ensure there are friendly legislations for media practitioners and the media industry in general.
Massawe enlightened the tutors on five recent enacted legislations which have repugnant and repressive articles or sections.
The legislations include the Media Services Act of 2016, Cybercrimes Act 2015, Statistics Act of 2015 and Access to Information Act (MSA) 2016 as well as content regulations of 2020 of the Electronic and Postal Communications Act.
In addition to the laws and regulations, Advocate Massawe also enlightened the tutors on various media cases including suspensions of media outlets using the MSA 2016. Some of the newspapers which were suspended include Tanzania Daima, Uhuru and Raia Mwema.
Speaking during the training, Saumu Mwalimu a Programme Officer of MCT , said a period of half a decade witnessed an increase in protests from media, activists, and civic organizations against repressive laws placing obstacles to press freedom and freedom of expression.
Though the country’s constitution guarantees freedom of expression and it has ratified regional and international treaties, certain laws have been enacted which contravene the spirit and aspirations of the constitution and the regional and international treaties, Saumu said.
“Our objective at MCT,” she went on, “is to extensively advocate and promote feedom of expression and press freedom and ensure high level of professionalism and accountability in the media so that they can contribute for development and growth of democracy in the country.”
“MCT and partners in the Coalition on the Right to Information (CoRI) we have been working to prevent the declining trend on press freedom and that is why we brought this training to DSJ so that you as tutors can be able to raise your understanding on these issues and teach your students who are targetted as journalists by these laws”, said Saumu
DSJ Principal Johnson Soah, thanked MCT for organising the training for them. He said pesonally, he was not aware that MCT and CoRI were undertaking a massive task to ensure friendly and positive legislations for the media.
Lisa Fredy , a tutor and Public Relations Officer for DSJ, said the training was very important to them as their schools produces many journalists who practice the profession.
She appealed to MCT not to get tired of them wherever they seek training. “Advocate Massawe has taught and reminded us many things that we should always consider and teach our students”, she added.