Media service act, 2016 and the freedom of Media in Tanzania
Loading...
Date
2023-03
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kampala International University, College of Humanities and social Science
Abstract
Media freedom is a crucial component of democracy, protecting fundamental human rights such
as freedom of opinion and expression. While vibrant democracies in the world have articles that
prohibit enacting laws against media freedom, many nations, particularly developing countries like
Tanzania, have laws in place that restrict media operations, limiting freedom of expression and
that of the press. This study investigates the impact of the Media Service Act, 2016, on media
freedom in Tanzania, using qualitative research methods to gather insights from journalists, human
rights activists, and politicians. The study employed thematic analysis to analyze the collected
data. The study reveals a complex relationship between the Media Service Act and media freedom
violations in Tanzania. Findings show that the Act has had a partial impact on editorial content so
far, with varied opinions among respondents. Some believe the law had no effect, while others
observed changes specifically in the investigative reporting and analysis of critical issues in media,
and a third group saw positive effects on professionalism and ethics. Furthermore, the study found
that self-censorship exists among Tanzanian journalists, partially influenced by the Act and other
regulations, but denied by a few respondents who associate it with unprofessionalism. Moreover,
government crackdowns on media and journalists have been observed to be partially caused by the
Media Service Act, 2016. The study concludes that the Media Service Act is partly responsible for
media freedom violations in Tanzania; while other laws and regulations have been found to be
other factors together with actions of government and its agencies. Based on these findings, it is
recommended that the Media Service Act, along with other restrictive laws, should be amended to
protect media freedom as guaranteed in the Tanzanian Constitution.
Description
A research report submitted to the college of humanities and social sciences in partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of masters of Arts in mass Communication of Kampala International University
Keywords
Media service, Freedom, Media, Tanzania