Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Prof. Paramagamba Kabudi, has outlined five key responsibilities for the media sector ahead of the October General Election.
Speaking at the Eastern Zone Media and Broadcasting Stakeholders’ Meeting in Dar es Salaam, Prof. Kabudi emphasized that the media must first inform citizens of their rights and duties, and second, provide clear education on the policies and manifestos of election candidates.
The third role involves monitoring and reporting any violations of election laws.
He added that the fourth responsibility is to encourage active participation among special groups, particularly youth and women, while the fifth is to combat misinformation and avoid spreading false or misleading information.
“The implementation of these responsibilities must be guided by professionalism, expertise, and ethical journalism,” Prof. Kabudi said.
Meanwhile, Director of the Media Accreditation Board, Advocate Patrick Kipangula, warned that practicing journalism without accreditation is a criminal offence.
Citing Section 19 of the Media Services Act, Kipangula said: “Any person intending to work in journalism must be accredited by the Board.
No one is allowed to carry out journalistic work without proper accreditation. Journalists reporting on the General Election must ensure they are accredited.”