Tanzania
Money a problem for covering rural areasPosted Feb 15 2009
Tanzania-based news service IPP Media reported Feb. 9 that financial problems facing journalists in Tanzania are among the issues highlighted in media coverage of rural poverty.
According to reporter Gadiosa Lamtey, research conducted by the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) in collaboration with the Centre for Media Studies Research and Networking found that the rural reports are not given as much prominence as urban ones because of the costs of reporting rural stories.
The results were released in Dar es Salaam on Feb. 8 by the council’s Executive Secretary, Kajuba Mukajanga, during the official launch of various MCT publications.
Among the publications launched are two specialized manuals for journalists and a report on the status of poverty reporting in the country.
Makajanga said that journalists failed to report from rural areas and conduct research on poverty and other social issues because of financial problems. Instead, they give priority to cheaper coverage of urban issues.
Mukajanga said the two manuals are appropriate for training purposes while the report provides a reflection on current trends and future needs regarding print media’s activities in reporting poverty in Tanzania.
The Board Chairman of the Centre for Media Studies Research and Networking, Prof. Jwani Mwaikusa, said journalists have the potential to upgrade their skills on rural reporting and provide necessary support to associations dealing with poverty.
He said that all manuals would provide guidelines on how to report various issues.
He also said MCT believes the manual will help journalists gain more insight, inspiration and skills in covering the traditionally neglected rural areas. Eighty percent of Tanzania’s population resides in those areas.
Newspapers published by The Guardian Limited were the leader in publishing news on poverty in the country, according to the report. The Guardian led with 313 stories on poverty in rural areas followed by The Daily News with 238 stories and The Sunday News with 46.
More information
- IPPmedia