TMF out to finance views gathering exercise for media bill

ashery mkama

TMF Executive Director, Mr Ernest Sungura.

THE Tanzania Media Foundation (TMF) has pledged to facilitate stakeholders’ involvement in the process of gathering views to be incorporated in the media bill to be tabled before the parliament in the near future.

TMF Executive Director, Mr Ernest Sungura made the remarks in Dar es Salaam during the TMF Outreach Meeting which brought together editors, independent producers and senior journalists.

Mr Sungura said there was a need for the government to collaborate with stakeholders in the process of obtaining the Media Services and Right to Information Bill as it was still in the making process.

“Unless the laws governing the profession are good then our job as journalists will be done effectively,” said Mr Sungura. He extended recognition to the government of Ireland through Irish Aid and the government of Sweden for their support to TMF.

The Director of the Tanzania Information Services, MAELEZO, Mr Assah Mwambene, who spoke on behalf of the Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Mr Nape Nnauye, called for capacity building relevant in getting an Act that will meet the requirements and needs of the profession.

“We are still going on with the process of receiving stakeholders’ views, I therefore believe that the laws will reflect on their interests,” noted Mr Mwambene. Mr Sungura extended gratitude to TMF for extending grants support to journalists for the sake of improving the profession.

“Some of the beneficiaries have been able to impact on major transformation in the country and government policies through their works,” he said. It would be important to extend further the grants to journalists in other parameters for more transformations.

On her part, the Ambassador of Ireland to Tanzania, Ms Fionnuala Gilsenan, pointed out that the media industry in the country has diversified for the past 20 years. The social media on the other hand has promoted media engagement to the public and community members.

“The media has been in the forefront in exposing corruption and other malpractice in various systems of government,” noted the Ambassador. President John Magufuli has also acknowledged the contributions of the media in exposing issues that are against the government policies