Wednesday, March 19, 2014

ABOUT THE TRAINING DAY 3

The training was good and we learned a lot of things. The way the training was organized was so good. I would like to congratulate Misa-Tan for this wonderful training with a lots of exposure and learning by doing practically. Day three were having much to do compare to day one and two. We learned how to link in different web as well as how to upload the pictures and images without copy and paste. It reached the time people they don't want to go to take their lunch because they had a lot to do.

A big challenge in this training was the computers were slow and even sometimes failed to upload things. We need to learn more but the time was not enough.

Bravo to Misa-Tan thanks to Mr Peik     

MEDIA FREEDOM IN TANZANIA

It is difficult to define what independence of the press is. Universally, it means media being allowed to report truthfully on societal issues - good or bad, that are of public interest.

Tanzania got the first private TV station in mainland, in 1995 under I.P.P media. By then the Zanzibar Isles already had has one national owned TV station. Today Tanzania enjoys more than 400 newspapers mostly in the national language Kiswahili. Most of these newspapers based in Dar es Salaam. There are more than 10 TV stations, dozen of radio stations in a span of less than two decades.

The article 18 of the constitution of Tanzania, 1977 (amended 2005) speaks of the freedom of expression and opinion without any interference from outside forces but some how that seems to have never been the case in Tanzania because the laws imposed on the media are strict and makes it practically impossible for journalist to do their jobs.

The media has had to face various challenges when it come to the kind of information that they could publish or broadcast to members of public. Draconian laws have even been imposed to regulate what they so called press freedom in the country. In 1976 the news paper act was enacted to restrict journalist on the types of stories that were published in news papers.

Article 36(1) and 37(1)(b) specifically state that if any journalist publishes hate information towards the government then he or she is liable to a fine of Tsh 150,000. On November 7, 2013 Attorney General Fredrick Warema defended the governments decision on to amend section 36(1) and 37(1)(b) of the news papers act 1976 where by the decision was to increase the penalty fee from 150,000 to 5 million but the members of parliament rejected the government proposal.

Almost all the media houses have one thing in common all they care about are the advertisers above all. They are the ones that keep the papers afloat. Tycoons with political affiliations or business interests are the ones who owned most of the papers and TV/Radio stations in Tanzania.Correspondents go for up to six months without pay. And it is not the situation with just one house, but many. Journalists and correspondents go out to hunt for stories where the sources are willing to pay Example NGOs press conferences takes place around the country, envelopes stuffed with cash are dished out.

Survival means foregoing your integrity or else if you love the job too much there must be another job going hand in hand with journalism.There is no union to protect journalists. On the part of government to control the media, the private electronic media is allowed to air their programmes in only 25 per cent of the country. At the same time the language must be either English or Swahili, which are foreign and not understood by many people in the remote areas.

Media house in Tanzania are not free to write whatever they think is correct. when they try to do so they face punishment like being banned for a while just like what happened to Mwananchi and Mtanzania respectively in 2013.  

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

The second day of the training

The second day of the training we learned a lot of things. Some of the things were new to me but i got all the assistance from the instructor. The sessions was 3 as usual but the day were much busy compare to the first day.

 I like the way our instructor pass around and help us individually. He used participatory methods like questions and answers to instruct us. Nothing i dislike in day 2.

I learned a lot of things in day 2 like how to use Google to search different information in the internet but also to put into mind to open the link because some of the information will be outdated example The information about El Salvador president.

We were given three heading were by we suppose to choose one and write short story about it. We use Google web and Google news to search different information, we learned how to find exactly information bay using custom range, how to translate information from one language to another and so many.

To plan research and the stories your writing you should know exactly what you want to write and to know the useful sites which will help you with useful information about your story.

MUSEVEN TO WORK WITH RUSSIANS THAN AMERICANS


     President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda at a past event. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | FILE
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has said he will work with the Russian government because they don't interfere the internal affairs of other countries.
      
The comment of Mr. Museveni comes after US president Barack Obama said that the relationship between his country and Uganda would be in a bad situation if President Museven signs the Ant-Homosexuality Bill into rights.

Mr. Museveni said Russia has been worked in Africa since 1917 and he want to work with them because they don't mix up their politics with other countries politics and he told President Obama to stop interfering in the affairs of Uganda.

President Museveni insist to discourage the USA government from taking the line that passing the law and said that the relationship between two countries would be complicated as President Obama said.

Monday, March 17, 2014

About the day

   The training was so good, we had three sessions with wonderful presentation from our teacher Mr. Peik. I like the way our facilitator teach us by engaging the participants in his lesson. In another way the training used participatory methods like questions and answers as well as practices in the computer.
    Every thing was OK because we learned a lot of things.Examples how to find information by using internet such as population of Iringa region, Ukraine etc, How to create blog and feed information on it but also to use Google map to find different locations across the country and the world in general.  

Itroduction

       My name is Clement Shari, Professionally i am journalist working with Sunrise Radio based in Arusha region as Sub news editor.
       This week i am at The University of Dar Es Salaam computing center attending 3 days training about investigative internet journalism. 
        My expectations from this training is to get new skills, ideas and knowledge about investigative internet journalism.