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Mwinyi hits at corruption in media industry
2007-12-22 08:30:20
By Lusekelo Philemon
Former President Ali Hassan Mwinyi has bitterly deplored corrupt practices in the media industry, saying they tarnished the industry`s public image and were detrimental to the country's development.
He said corruption in the media was so widespread that it called for immediate remedial action in order to restore public confidence and build a strong media industry.
According to him, the current situation was negatively tarnishing the image of the entire media profession.
``Corruption in the media has been increasing at an alarming speed. I would therefore call for immediate action to normalise the situation,`` Mwinyi said yesterday in Dar es Salaam.
The former President was speaking at a function to mark the first year since `Habari Leo, a Kiswahili daily published by Tanzania Standard Newspapers (TSN), was launched.
``This underrates the key role of the media before the public. I am saying this in general terms, though I know there are some good people in the media who are honest, but when a single rotten fish is found in a fish basket people tend to assume that all of them are rotten.``
He further said that Tanzania was leading in the number of media houses in sub-Saharan Africa, warning that it should not likewise lead in the number of unethical media practitioners.
He said collective efforts were needed to reduce the scale of the problem and deliver improved services to the public.
``This is what spurred the government into amending some of the crucial laws governing the media industry in the country,`` he said.
He however pointed out that lack of education among media practitioners was one of the major reasons behind the problem.
``A low level of education among journalists has contributed a lot to the violation of media ethics in the country,`he said.
On unprofessional media practitioners commonly known as `kanjanja,` the former President said: `This is the worst form of journalism, and they are very dangerous because they are more often than not the very ones who violate media ethics.``
He therefore urged media owners to collaborate and establish in-house practical training for journalists.
Information, Culture and Sports Minister Mohammed Seif Khatib, meanwhile, has said that the government was trying to make the country`s media industry deliver better services to the public.
He said the media was an important tool in giving the public accurate information.
Earlier, TSN deputy managing editor Mkumbwa Ally said `Habari Leo` alone employs about 180 people and was a big taxpayer.
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