THE government has firmly stated its stance to reform the media sector through legal framework, including merging the Media Services Act of 2016 and the Electronic and Postal Communications Act of 2010.
Revealing the plan on Saturday, Minister for Information, Communication and Information Technology, Mr Nape Nnauye, said the move is expected to bring effective coordination of the sector and unity among players in the print, electronic and social media since all are under his docket.
"In addition to reviewing the country's media policy, the government plans to merge the legislations pertaining to media and broadcasting issues, since both are now under the same ministry," he noted.
He added, "I confirm that the government will send to the parliament for review the amendments to articles in the Media Services Act of 2016 in January next year."
Mr Nape made the remarks in Dar es Salaam yesterday at the first-ever Media Sector Development Forum 2022 under the theme 'Media for Sustainable Development'.
The minister insisted on five measures that his ministry has set for strengthening the industry, among others, the ministry will continue to work with stakeholders to improve the working environment in the sector, including addressing issues that arise in the sector.
He also stated that the ministry will devote sufficient resources in 2023 to address challenges facing journalists and improve their welfare, including pushing for employment contracts for journalists in order to boost their morale and productivity.
Mr Nape went on to say that the third issue is the necessity of the media working in accordance with the country's legislation, culture, and code of conduct for journalists and that the government assures safety in carrying out their duties.
According to the minister, through delivering factual information to citizens, the media should establish cooperation and work with the government to ensure the implementation of various government initiatives.
"Fifth, this conference will be sustainable and held every year, and the government will improve it, including acknowledging the sector's achievement for a year," Mr Nnauye said.
Dr Jim Yonazi, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, stated that the globe is currently undergoing a massive economic shift toward a digital economy, which is being driven by technological advancement.
According to Dr Yonazi, the shift in technology towards the digital economy is being driven by how humans obtain information and how machines obtain and use information.
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"Various innovations are taking place, such as advances in artificial intelligence, data integration and collaboration, and an economy in which man, machine, and all their jobs work together," Dr Yonazi explained.
During the conference, he stated that there is a need for accurate and useful information to be delivered to the community, which is why the ministry decided to meet with stakeholders to discuss and identify solutions that will assist the nation to move forward in this technology age.
He said that holding of the conference is the instruction of President Samia Suluhu Hassan in ensuring that the information sector makes a significant contribution to the country's economy.
According to Dr Yonazi, the conference provided an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss various issues aimed at building the capacity of the news industry and journalists and how they can contribute to their economy.
Due to that importance, he said the sector will change the way the economy and information interact after 60 years of independence.
Chairman of the Tanzania Editors' Forum (TEF), Deodatus Balile, said that since Tanzania gained independence, the media has done a great job of uniting the nation through the Kiswahili language.
He said the country's unity is contributed by Kiswahili, the language used by media which has performed a good work.
