The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in collaboration with Media Aid for Indigenous and Pastoralist Community(MAIPAC) and the government’s Information Services Department (Habari Maelezo), is developing new guidelines aimed at improving how journalists and content creators report on marginalised communities in Tanzania.
The guidelines are expected to help media practitioners understand the cultural values, traditions and sensitivities of communities such as the Hadzabe, Maasai, Datoga and Akie before producing and publishing content about them.
Speaking during a panel discussion held in Arusha to mark World Press Freedom Day, MAIPAC Executive Director Mussa Juma said the initiative comes in response to growing concerns over unethical content creation, particularly on digital platforms.
He noted that in recent years, both local and international content creators have been visiting these communities especially the Hadzabe producing and sharing content without consent, and in some cases, publishing material that undermines the dignity of the people involved.
“Due to these challenges, MAIPAC, in partnership with UNESCO and Maelezo, is preparing a special guideline to ensure that content creators work within ethical standards and respect the dignity of these communities,” he said.
Juma added that alongside the guidelines, the organisations are also planning capacity-building programmes to empower the communities themselves.
The initiative, implemented in partnership with SAVVY Media, aims to equip them with knowledge on how to use social media effectively and benefit from the visibility they are gaining online.
“We want to enable these communities to use digital platforms for their own benefit, including economic opportunities, and to understand their digital rights,” he said.
Participants at the discussion, including content creators and officials from the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority, emphasised that social media and artificial intelligence should be used as tools for empowerment rather than exploitation.
Chairperson of the Hadzabe community in the Lake Eyasi basin, Karatu District, Mdindi Samboga welcomed the initiative, saying it comes at a crucial time when the community is gaining increased attention online.
“Our community has become very popular on social media, but we do not benefit from the photos and stories produced about us,” he said.
“They come, take pictures and interview us. We hear that we are widely seen in towns, but we gain nothing apart from small handouts. We now ask for support so that we can also benefit,” he added.
The planned guidelines and training programmes are expected to promote ethical storytelling, protect the rights of marginalised groups and ensure that increased media attention translates into tangible benefits for the communities involved.
