Africa-Press – Tanzania. ON Monday, President Samia Suluhu Hassan convened a meeting in Dar es Salaam with editors of different media houses, where several ideas were shared solely for the purpose of seeing into it that journalists work freely in an environment that favours them and the country.
As it might be repeated a journalist investigates, collects, and presents information as a news story. This can be presented through newspapers, magazines, radio, television and the internet.
Journalists are relied upon to present news in a well-rounded, objective manner, without endangering security of the people, State and or defaming an individual.
This is a noble duty any journalist worth his/her salt will always struggle to go for and outside this is pure gutter press- a media that engages in sensational journalism (especially concerning the private lives of public figures) for personal vendetta.
We should realize that Tanzania from independence is a country that has maintained peace in the volatile Great Lakes Region, and we (read government and its people) must guard this at all costs.
We should not take the peace we have in the country for granted, because it would be painful and costly to lose it as a result of reckless journalism.
With the background, President Samia had all the reasons to remind the Media Houses that despite the freedom they have to write and air their sources’ views, they should still be watchful and patriotic enough and see into it that peace and tranquility in the country are maintained.
As media houses, we should not resort to ironing out our differences in public, because any slight mistake as a result of reckless journalism or personal attack against a public figure will definitely degenerate into chaos, which at the end of the day will open a can of worms somewhere.
We should remember that Tanzanians want water in their doorsteps, electricity, good roads, drugs in hospitals, better schools, you name it instead of washing dirty linen in the public through the media.
As media houses, we must set pace and support this course and fight for it to be maintained. It is our responsibility to educate and inform the public that without peace, there will be no development and favourable environment to practice journalism.
It was good as a leader and President of the country, when she stressed to the media to adhere to professional ethics and respect country’s laws and traditional norms when carrying out their duties, saying: “If you work professionally by respecting others’ dignity, not defaming people, we (government) will not suspend any media outlet.”
