Geza Ulole
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 31, 2009
- 59,208
- 79,447
Territory of Microphone Holders
I'm quite interested in how politicians express themselves, how the media quote them and why the journalists refrain from asking them complex questions. Basically I find it entertaining, but it is also part of convincing myself that it might help me understand this country to a higher degree.
For instance, lately I have been enjoying reading papers quoting Tanzania's prime minister, Mizengo Pinda, who seems to be travelling to every corner of Tanzania to ensure that citizens act accordingly to government policies.
Back in January Pinda encouraged mob justice on albino killers, which he however later regretted during a speech in the parliament.
In yesterday's Daily News Pinda was in Arusha, where Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda has threatened to take action against a Chinese company building the Arusha-Namanga road if it fails to complete its work within the agreed time.
I drove on that road a month ago. It is rather strange that it isn't finished. And true, the road construction does appear as the Chinese have given it up. What I find most interesting, however, is that this is another example of how Pinda gets quoted for expressing severe disatisfaction.
Pinda threatens. But with what?
Last week it was the power tillers in Lindi which made the Daily News headline: Procure power tillers or else... Again I did ask myself 'or else what?', and hoped that the journalist would have been just as curious.
In yesterday's Daily News Pinda was in Ireland, and while adressing the Tanzanian diaspora he appealed to Tanzanians living abroad to bring tractors. Maybe the journalist could also here have asked some few practical questions? For instance if that sentence was meant as a metaphor? Or how do you bring a tractor to Tanzania if you live in Ireland?
Not to forget quizzing Pinda a bit more when he stated that the economic situation in the country (Tanzania) had improved contrary to some media reports, Pinda in fact said Tanzania was not a country of corrupt people,and that the government was taking legal actions against suspected corrupt officials.
I mean if anyone in real life opens any conversation with any of these statements over a Kilimanjaro in Bongo, there will be heated debate.
The journalist could maybe have asked if Pinda was familiar with the Transparency Index (TI) which was published some two weeks ago, and which dropped Tanzania four steps down the list of the most corrupt countries in the world. At least to get some discussion going as this journalist is doing (though I am not completely sure what track he's on).
In Denmark we call journalists who don't ask critical questions 'microphone holders'.
Microphone holders can be bought here (where the photo also is taken
from).
http://www.pernille.typepad.com/
I'm quite interested in how politicians express themselves, how the media quote them and why the journalists refrain from asking them complex questions. Basically I find it entertaining, but it is also part of convincing myself that it might help me understand this country to a higher degree.
For instance, lately I have been enjoying reading papers quoting Tanzania's prime minister, Mizengo Pinda, who seems to be travelling to every corner of Tanzania to ensure that citizens act accordingly to government policies.
Back in January Pinda encouraged mob justice on albino killers, which he however later regretted during a speech in the parliament.
In yesterday's Daily News Pinda was in Arusha, where Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda has threatened to take action against a Chinese company building the Arusha-Namanga road if it fails to complete its work within the agreed time.
I drove on that road a month ago. It is rather strange that it isn't finished. And true, the road construction does appear as the Chinese have given it up. What I find most interesting, however, is that this is another example of how Pinda gets quoted for expressing severe disatisfaction.
Pinda threatens. But with what?
Last week it was the power tillers in Lindi which made the Daily News headline: Procure power tillers or else... Again I did ask myself 'or else what?', and hoped that the journalist would have been just as curious.
In yesterday's Daily News Pinda was in Ireland, and while adressing the Tanzanian diaspora he appealed to Tanzanians living abroad to bring tractors. Maybe the journalist could also here have asked some few practical questions? For instance if that sentence was meant as a metaphor? Or how do you bring a tractor to Tanzania if you live in Ireland?
Not to forget quizzing Pinda a bit more when he stated that the economic situation in the country (Tanzania) had improved contrary to some media reports, Pinda in fact said Tanzania was not a country of corrupt people,and that the government was taking legal actions against suspected corrupt officials.
I mean if anyone in real life opens any conversation with any of these statements over a Kilimanjaro in Bongo, there will be heated debate.
The journalist could maybe have asked if Pinda was familiar with the Transparency Index (TI) which was published some two weeks ago, and which dropped Tanzania four steps down the list of the most corrupt countries in the world. At least to get some discussion going as this journalist is doing (though I am not completely sure what track he's on).
In Denmark we call journalists who don't ask critical questions 'microphone holders'.
Microphone holders can be bought here (where the photo also is taken
from).
http://www.pernille.typepad.com/