Tanzania Media Sustainability Index (MSI)
March 15, 2012
About the MSI
IREX designed the MSI to measure the strength and viability of any country's media sector. The MSI considers all the factors that contribute to a media system—the quality of journalism, effectiveness of management, the legal environment supporting freedom of the press, and more—to arrive at scores on a scale ranging between 0 and 4. These scores represent the strength of the media sector components and can be analyzed over time to chart progress (or regression) within a country. Additionally, countries or regions may be compared to one another. IREX currently conducts the MSI in 80 countries, and began studying Africa in 2006.
MSI Overview | Africa | Asia | Europe & Eurasia | Middle East & North Africa
Download Complete Tanzania Chapter (PDF): 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2006/7
MSI Tanzania-2010 Introduction
Overall Country Score: 2.41
Tanzania maintains its leadership position in terms of press freedom and freedom of expression in East Africa, and in the past, Tanzania won praise for being the most peaceful country in the region. However, some in the media community fear that the government’s reluctance to amend outdated, restrictive laws that contradict and undermine the nation’s constitution and international conventions threatens this freedom. Most of these laws were enacted before Tanzania won its independence and remain in place despite calls to abolish them.
The current government, headed by Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, uses these laws to harass and intimidate the media, which has played a major role in exposing the country’s endemic corruption. The government has also made several attempts to enact new media laws, which journalists and other media stakeholders say are intended to muzzle press freedom. “We have fought tooth and nail to ensure that these repressive laws are not passed, and we shall continue with our struggle until the government gives up,” noted Godfrey Kambenga, journalist and general secretary of the Tanzania Union of Journalists.
The opposition has also gained more strength in Tanzania since the introduction of a multiparty political system in 1999—on the one
hand, pushing the government to a more forceful approach, while engaging the opposition on certain points. The situation is in flux, though, as opposition to the current ruling political party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), is growing amid accusations that the government is one of the most corrupt regimes in the region. Analysts say that despite CCM’s lead, its popularity is faltering for two major reasons: the country’s economy, declining in comparison with other East African countries, and high levels of corruption in the government. This corruption includes accusations that some of Tanzania’s past leaders have drained Tanzania’s economy and invested the money in foreign countries—information the opposition uses in its campaign against the CCM government.
With Kikwete at the helm, CCM has won all four general elections organized since the introduction of the multiparty political system. Kikwete has been on the forefront of fighting corruption—and has received international recognition for his efforts—but his opponents say his efforts are insincere, taken only to appease donors without taking serious measures or actions against his ministers. Thus, after Kikwete won the 2010 presidential election, the opposition contested the results for the first time. This resulted in nationwide violence that lasted about a week before the army and the police jointly contained the situation.
Despite all this, democracy continues to grow with the emergence of new political parties and organizations. Many of these political parties participated in the recently concluded 2010 general elections.
