Tamwa Executive Director Dr. Rose Reuben announced the "Samia Kalamu Awards," alongside TCRA Broadcasting Services Manager Engineer Andrew Kisaka. The awards aim to encourage impactful journalism on national development in Tanzania. Photo: Courtesy
By Adonis Byemelwa
Dar es Salaam--Tanzania Media Women’s Association (Tamwa), in collaboration with the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), has officially launched the "Samia Kalamu Awards," aimed at encouraging journalism focused on development, accountability, patriotism, and promoting Tanzania's national image. With the theme "Patriotism is Smart," the awards seek to foster in-depth research and analysis in media reporting on topics of national development.
Speaking during the launch on Sunday, October 13, 2024, at Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam, Tamwa Executive Director Dr. Rose Reuben said the awards will cover content published across newspapers, radio, television, and online platforms, highlighting that these awards are specifically for media outlets and government communication officers.
"The awards, organized by Tamwa and TCRA, will recognize stories published between January 1 and October 26, 2024. They are meant to encourage Tanzanian journalists to broaden their scope in processing, broadcasting, and publishing local content through various media channels," Dr. Reuben explained.
She emphasized the need for media in Tanzania to shift focus from entertainment to more educational content, adding that local media often prioritize foreign content, which does not always align with the needs of Tanzanian audiences.
"In response, Tamwa and TCRA have provided special training this year for over 2,000 journalists, broadcasters, editors, managers, government communication officers, media owners, lecturers, and digital content creators across the country," she added.
Dr. Reuben noted that alongside the training, it was also important to recognize journalists and media outlets that are making efforts to produce well-researched, impactful stories on national development.
"These awards are named the Samia Kalamu Awards to honor and celebrate Tanzania's first female president, Samia Suluhu Hassan. The awards, set to be presented in November 2024, will fall under three categories: National Special Awards, Media Outlet Awards, and Sectoral Awards," she said.
To be eligible, submissions must focus on development-related topics that touch on citizens’ lives or showcase opportunities arising from various projects. The stories must have been published in Swahili or English in media outlets within or outside Tanzania, and the journalist must be Tanzanian. Moreover, submissions should involve in-depth research, include at least four sources, and not have been entered in any other competition.
In terms of intellectual property, Dr. Reuben stressed that all entries must be original and comply with copyright laws, both for the author and the broadcasting platform.
Voting will involve a public component, with 60% of votes coming from the public through SMS to a short code, and 40% from a panel of judges. Voting can also be done through the official website: https://samiaawards.tz.
Andrew Kisaka, TCRA’s Broadcasting Services Manager, speaking on behalf of TCRA Director General Dr. Jabiri Bakari, emphasized the goal of these awards to inspire journalists to produce high-quality, impactful content that drives positive change in society.
“These awards are unique because they involve all media outlets, and even government communication officers will compete. This initiative will significantly improve media professionalism and lead to better local content production, which we believe will result in higher standards across the media sector,” Kisaka added.
Journalists are encouraged to submit their work through the website: https://samiaawards.tz, with hopes that the Samia Kalamu Awards will inspire high-quality, ethical journalism that promotes national development and patriotism.
