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Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Stakeholders to give views on media law regulations
Tanzanian journalists at work. Media stakeholders have been invited to give their views on regulations meant to streamline implementation of the Media Services Act. PHOTO | FILE
In Summary
Dar es Salaam. Media stakeholders have been invited to give their views on regulations meant to streamline implementation of the Media Services Act.
The new media law was enacted by Parliament in November, assented to by President John Magufuli a few days later and gazetted on November 18 this year.
A public notice issued by the Tanzania Information Services (Maelezo) yesterday directed that opinions should focus on six key areas, including levels of education for a media practitioner and conditions for running a licensed media outlet.
The notice, signed by Acting Registrar of Newspapers Patrick Kipangula, mentioned other areas as procedures for appealing against accreditation board decisions, disciplining unethical practitioners, procedures and conditions for licensing a publication and how non-Tanzania citizens could obtain shares in local media outlets.
The notice wants stakeholders to submit their opinions not later than January 10, next year.
However, speaking to The Citizen separately yesterday, the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) and the Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF) differed on the involvement of stakeholders.
While MCT Executive Secretary Kajubi Mukajanga said the move was meant to legitimise the law, TEF Secretary Neville Meena said though the involvement decision at this stage was tricky, stakeholders should take part in an effort to search for consensus.
“If you ask the secret behind, there is no doubt that through the Media Services Act of 2016, the state wants to control the media,” argued Mr Mukajanga.
“It is impossible to improve a bad law using good regulations. The Minister’s draft regulations should be produced for stakeholders to comment, if the government has good faith,” he said.
For his part, Mr Meena said stakeholders should take part in formulating the regulations because the government would seek to reach consensus with other players after what happened during the writing of the law. He said the demand to have the regulations taken before the parliamentary Subsidiary Legislations Committee would ensure stakeholders’ interests are protected.
“It’s tricky, but we need to participate in this [giving opinions on the new media law regulations] since boycotting the process will not suspend implementation of the law,” he argued.
Stakeholders to give views on media law regulations
Tanzanian journalists at work. Media stakeholders have been invited to give their views on regulations meant to streamline implementation of the Media Services Act. PHOTO | FILE
In Summary
- INVITATION: Tanzania Information Services notice wants contributors to submit their opinions not later than January 10, next year
- Opinions should focus on six areas, including levels of education for media practitioners and conditions for running a licensed media outlet
Dar es Salaam. Media stakeholders have been invited to give their views on regulations meant to streamline implementation of the Media Services Act.
The new media law was enacted by Parliament in November, assented to by President John Magufuli a few days later and gazetted on November 18 this year.
A public notice issued by the Tanzania Information Services (Maelezo) yesterday directed that opinions should focus on six key areas, including levels of education for a media practitioner and conditions for running a licensed media outlet.
The notice, signed by Acting Registrar of Newspapers Patrick Kipangula, mentioned other areas as procedures for appealing against accreditation board decisions, disciplining unethical practitioners, procedures and conditions for licensing a publication and how non-Tanzania citizens could obtain shares in local media outlets.
The notice wants stakeholders to submit their opinions not later than January 10, next year.
However, speaking to The Citizen separately yesterday, the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) and the Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF) differed on the involvement of stakeholders.
While MCT Executive Secretary Kajubi Mukajanga said the move was meant to legitimise the law, TEF Secretary Neville Meena said though the involvement decision at this stage was tricky, stakeholders should take part in an effort to search for consensus.
“If you ask the secret behind, there is no doubt that through the Media Services Act of 2016, the state wants to control the media,” argued Mr Mukajanga.
“It is impossible to improve a bad law using good regulations. The Minister’s draft regulations should be produced for stakeholders to comment, if the government has good faith,” he said.
For his part, Mr Meena said stakeholders should take part in formulating the regulations because the government would seek to reach consensus with other players after what happened during the writing of the law. He said the demand to have the regulations taken before the parliamentary Subsidiary Legislations Committee would ensure stakeholders’ interests are protected.
“It’s tricky, but we need to participate in this [giving opinions on the new media law regulations] since boycotting the process will not suspend implementation of the law,” he argued.
