Journalistic Mumble Jumble

[Augustine Moshi]

Our journalists, particularly those that work for The Guardian, continue to exhibit signs of very low understanding of facts and figures. Do neither the Reporters nor the Editors know that a thousand billions is a trillion? Do they not know further that the entire national budget of Tanzania is less than a dozen trillion shillings?


See what they wrote yesterday:


"Workers’ contribution to government revenue has increased significantly compared to corporation tax levied on firms’ taxable profit for all companies in Tanzania, the latest National Tax Statistics show.


The statistics show that the government earned Sh512,177.1 billion from workers through Pay As You Earn (P.A.Y.E) in 2007/08 compared to Sh38,357.8 billion in 1996/7”.

It seems to me that you cannot write this unless you are unable to distinguish between a million and a billion. Shillings 512, 77.1 billion is equivalent to shillings 12,804,425 (almost 13 mil/=) for every Tanzanian man, woman and child! The article will only make sense if you replace their billions with mere millions.

In another article, and in the same issue, they wrote:

“The Musoma catholic parish priest, citing the recent brutal killings of 17 people near the municipality, has decried revenge, saying it should never be embraced by any community”.

Now, when you are a Catholic Priest in Musoma, you are not like the Pope. You are ‘unus a multi” (one out of many). Father Magabe is a Catholic Priest in Musoma. He is not the Catholic Priest in Musoma. I have not been to Musoma (what would I do there?), but I am sure there must be several Parishes there, each with its very own Parish Priest.

Why are our journalists so sleepy? When will their editors rise to the challenge? Why can’t they maintain the same sort of high standards as The East African does?


Ndugu zangu wa Guardian: someni na kusahihisha mnayoaandika kabla ya kuchapisha. Mnaiaibisha nchi nzima! Na mnaua Kiingereza cha watoto wetu! Tumeshalalamika siku za nyuma lakini inaelekea hamuambiliki! Kwani mnakunywa kazini? Lol!

 

[Mapinduzi]

...........

Why are our journalists so sleepy? When will their editors rise to the challenge? Why can't they maintain the same sort of high standards as the East African does?

..... Tumeshalalamika siku za nyuma lakini inaelekea hamuambiliki! Kwani mnakunywa kazini? ...

Of course wanakunywa, maziwa, maji, chai, soda na vinywaji vingine vinavyoruhusiwa kunywa wakati wa kazi.

Usishangae sana kwa hayo uliyoyasoma na kuyabandika hapa. Tasnia ya uandishi wa habari is on its dead end hapa Tanzania.....yes, Journalism is the shoddiest profession ever in Tanzania. Ndio maana wanaona Msemakweli wa right on the process of publishing the booklet Mafisadi wa Elimu. Hawaoni alipokosea kwa sababu hawajui kupatia maana yake nini (They don't know the right so as to distinguish it fromn the wrong). Inasikitisha.

 

[Kiranga]

Kaka Mushi,

Kuna wakati inafikia mtu unakata tamaa kabisa hata kusema. Bora hata unavyosema hivi unaona "ala, kumbe haya mambo si peke yangu ninayeyaona".Maana inafikia wakati kama tunakuali vile, kwa sababu inaacha kuwa exception, inauwa rule.

Nakuhaikishia tafuta mkala yoyote utakuta upuuzi huu.Kitu kingine nimekiona marakadha sasa ni kurudia figure kwa amba na aneno, unakuta katika makala mtu anaandika "milioni 6,000,000" akati unajua anakusudi milioni sita, unataka kutapika kabisa.

Kibaya zaidi, kwa wale watetezi watakaosema hii ni lugha ya kigeni, siku hizi hata kiswahili kinatushinda. Unasoma makala unaona kuanzia lugha mpaka uchambuzi kila kitu kinapwaya.

Waandishi hawasomi, unategemea nini?

 

[Utingo]

Well i can not comment, i dont read that paper, it has nothing to read.

 

[Mzee Kibiongo]

Sasa sikiliza wanavyo tamka majina redioni na kwenye TV utasikitika na roho yako. Kuna wakati niliwahi kuwaandikia e-mail na kuwatajia msomaji anayebenga majina, lakini wakakaa kimya, nilidhani hata wangeshukuru, lakini wapi. Majina yanayo washinda ni kama Duke of York, Luke, Linus, Simon, Matthew, Irene na kadhalika. Wao wanasoma kama yalivyoandikwa, lo, AIBU

 

[BabaDesi]

Sasa sikiliza wanavyo tamka majina redioni na kwenye TV utasikitika na roho yako. Kuna wakati niliwahi kuwaandikia e-mail na kuwatajia msomaji anayebenga majina, lakini wakakaa kimya, nilidhani hata wangeshukuru, lakini wapi. Majina yanayo washinda ni kama Duke of York, Luke, Linus, Simon, Matthew, Irene na kadhalika. Wao wanasoma kama yalivyoandikwa, lo, AIBU

...Asante. Mimi pia niliwahi kuwaandikia e-mail mbili nikihoji kwa nini wengi wa wasomaji wao wa taarifa za habari wanataka kutuaminisha kuwa matamshi ya herufi H ni 'Hechi' na sio 'Echi', hadi leo sijapata jibu. bila shaka moyoni walinijibu kuwa kama hutaki kuangalia tv yetu angalia nyingine!!! Inakera.

 

[Augustine Moshi]

Inabidi kuangalia chanzo cha tatizo na ufumbuzi wake.

Chanzo cha kwanza ni uchovu. Watu wanafika kazini wakiwa wameshajichokea sana barabarani. Kwanza jana yake mtu alikuwa kwenye harusi na juzi alikuwa kwenye msiba. Alilala saa sita, lakini bado akaamka saa kumi ili awahi barabarani. Hata hivyo akakaa kwenye foleni masaa mawili. Sasa akishaketi ofisini, zile creative juices zake zitajitokeza kweli?

Huu uchovu utapungua kama tukibadilika tukaacha huu mfumo wa kufanya sherehe tatu kwa kila harusi (kitchen party, send off party na harusi yenyewe), na kutazama upya vifo (a topic that is worthy of its own thread. We take death too seriously).

Chanzo cha pili cha huu uandishi mbaya ni kuharibika kwa Elimu Tanzania. Mwandishi kama huyo wa Guardian ambaye hajui hata lini atumie “the” na lini atumie “a” naye utakuta ana digrii. Mimi naamini watu wanaosoma kwenye shule zinazofundisha kiukweli kama zile za Marian, Kifungilo na St. Francis Mbeya hawawezi kufanya haya madudu.

Hatua moja ya kuboresha Elimu ni kurudisha shule tulizokamata kwa nguvu. Rudisha Assumpta College (Weru Weru), rudisha Miriam College (Kilakala), rudisha St. Francis Boys Secondary School (Pugu), rudisha St. Andrews College (Minaki), rudisha Umbwe, rudisha Rugambwa, etc. Serikali ijenge shule zake nyingine. Tukirudisha hizo shule zitafundisha kwa kiwango kizuri kama zinavyofundisha shule za Kifungilo, Marian na St. Francis Mbeya. Wanaotoka huko hawewezi kuandika bila kusoma na kusahihisha.

Chanzo cha tatu ni general national malaise. Hii iko kila mahali nchini kwetu kwa sasa. Ni Uswahili kila kona. Ni utani utani kazini na kuzungumzia mpira tu. Kubadilisha hali hii kutahitaji kuanza upya. Kutahitaji kuiweka timu ya sasa (CCM) benchi na kuwa na viongozi wengine.

Kama Kenya wanaweza kuwa na magazeti yenye waandishi walio macho na waandikayo kwanini sisi tushindwe? Wanatofautiana na sisi katika mambo mawili makuu: hawakuharibu Elimu kwa kunyanganya mashule, na wameshabadili chama tawala. Tuwaige.

 

[Kichuguu]

Unfortunately jamaa hawa huwa wanavurunda hata kiingereza. Kwenye gazeti la majuzi kulikuwa na picha inayoonmyesha waandishi waandamizi wakiwa wamebeba jeneza la marehemu Mhango. caption iliyokuwa imeandikwa pale kuhusiana na picha hiyo utadhani imeandikwa na mtoto wa darasa la pili.

 

[Augustine Moshi]

Unfortunately jamaa hawa huwa wanavurunda hata kiingereza. Kwenye gazeti la majuzi kulikuwa na picha inayoonmyesha waandishi waandamizi wakiwa wamebeba jeneza la marehemu Mhango. caption iliyokuwa imeandikwa pale kuhusiana na picha hiyo utadhani imeandikwa na mtoto wa darasa la pili.

Heri ya Mwaka Mpya Ndugu yangu Kichuguu!

Na kwenye www.ippmeadia.com leo kuna picha ambayo caption yake ni hii hapa:

"Up country buses wait the passengers at Ubungo bus terminal.According to the directive given by the Traffic Police Commander James Kombe all buses shall put the seat belt and given the bus owners grace period until October 1 otherwise their buses will not be allowed to operate".(Photo: Selemani Mpochi)

Tutawasemaje ili wajue kwamba ni aibu kuandika Kiingereza namna hii? Hakuna hata Editor mmoja anayeangalia hivi vitu kabla ya kuviweka duniani!

Mimi nadhani ippmedia inachangia sana katika kushusha kiwango cha Elimu Tanzania.

 

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

Tukumbuke wakati mwingine tunaandika Kiingereza kwa Kiswahiili; kwa mfano "you tell me what?" yaani "umeniambia nini" au "yeye na Wema Sepetu" ikawa "him and Kind Sepetu".. Kwa hiyo wakati mwingine ukisoma hizo caption au sentensi usizisome kama unayesoma Kiingereza halafu utafsiri kwa kiswahili; jaribu kuzisoma kama Kiingereza kilichoandikwa kwa Kiswahili..!

 

[Waberoya]

Tukumbuke wakati mwingine tunaandika Kiingereza kwa Kiswahiili; kwa mfano "you tell me what?" yaani "umeniambia nini" au "yeye na Wema Sepetu" ikawa "him and Kind Sepetu".. Kwa hiyo wakati mwingine ukisoma hizo caption au sentensi usizisome kama unayesoma Kiingereza halafu utafsiri kwa kiswahili; jaribu kuzisoma kama Kiingereza kilichoandikwa kwa Kiswahili..!

Nigerians wanajadili whether wawe na dictionary yao ya kiingereza cha Nigeria, wameji-gundua kadiri siku zinavyoenda mbele kiingereza chao kina mix ya Yoruba, Igbo n.k , grammer zao ziko modified according to 'their' own usage! sasa fikiria taifa lenye watu milioni 120!!! kazi hapo.

Tanzania waandishi wawe makini maana wengine wanaona magazeti ndiyo sehemu ya ku-improve english, sasa mambo kama ndiyo haya, tutafikishana Nigeria.

 

[Pascal Mayalla]

Tukumbuke wakati mwingine tunaandika Kiingereza kwa Kiswahiili; kwa mfano "you tell me what?" yaani "umeniambia nini" au "yeye na Wema Sepetu" ikawa "him and Kind Sepetu".. Kwa hiyo wakati mwingine ukisoma hizo caption au sentensi usizisome kama unayesoma Kiingereza halafu utafsiri kwa kiswahili; jaribu kuzisoma kama Kiingereza kilichoandikwa kwa Kiswahili..!

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Pamoja na tasnia ya habari kuvamiwa, wanahabari wetu wanafanya kazi katika mazingira magumu sana, sana, sana, sio tuu wanahitaji kuhurumiwa, bali pia kusaidiwa, kustahiliwa na kuelekezwa.

Tusiyalinganishe magazeti yetu na East African, that is a Kenyan connection so do The Citizen na Mwananchi. Wenzetu walianza zamani, sisi Tanzania degree za media ndio zimeanza 2005 wakati wenzetu tangu 60's.

Bado hatuna specialization, waandishi wanaospecialize ndio hao, huishia kwenye greener pasture badala ya kuendelea kuwa pen pushers, ukijumlisha na hii petty cash journalism, concentration ni little brown envelope na sio what one writes.

Ni wakuhurumiwa.

 

[Selous]

Tukumbuke wakati mwingine tunaandika Kiingereza kwa Kiswahiili; kwa mfano "you tell me what?" yaani "umeniambia nini" au "yeye na Wema Sepetu" ikawa "him and Kind Sepetu".. Kwa hiyo wakati mwingine ukisoma hizo caption au sentensi usizisome kama unayesoma Kiingereza halafu utafsiri kwa kiswahili; jaribu kuzisoma kama Kiingereza kilichoandikwa kwa Kiswahili..!

Umeniacha hoi MKJJ. Asante sana

 

[Augustine Moshi]

Kwa hiyo wakati mwingine ukisoma hizo caption au sentensi usizisome kama unayesoma Kiingereza halafu utafsiri kwa kiswahili; jaribu kuzisoma kama Kiingereza kilichoandikwa kwa Kiswahili..!

Nikisoma kama Kiswahili kilichoandikwa kwa Kiingereza ndio inakuwa nafuu kidogo.

Ila Pasco anakosea anoposema tumeanza siku za karibu. There is no excuse. Tusionee aibu mediocrity. Hawa wajamaa wa Guardian nadhani aidha hazipandi kabisa au wanakuwa wachovu mno kazini.

 

[Mlalahoi]

Mengi ya magazeti yetu ya Kimombo yanaandika "Kiswahili kwa Kiingereza" badala ya Kiingereza kamili.Ukitaka ushuhuda wa hilo,tafuta habari ambayo iko the Guardian na Nipashe .Wenzetu wanapovamia lugha za wenyewe wanajitahidi kuwa na nguvukazi yenye kumudu lugha husika (aidha kama native speaker au walioishi kwa muda mrefu eneo la lugha husika).Mfano wa hilo ni idhaa za Kiswahili za BBC,Sauti ya Ujerumani na VOA.Nafahamu wenzetu wana uwezo wa ku-import waswahili,na sie uwezo ni haba,lakini bado inawezekana kuwekeza katika wazalendo wanaomudu vizuri lugha za kigeni kama hiyo ya Malkia.