Dar es Salaam — TANZANIA's digital information space is no longer a peripheral arena that can be ignored, downplayed or wished away.
It is a living, fast-moving public sphere that shapes opinions, emotions and national conversations in real time.
In an age where young people wield unprecedented communicative power, the country's online environment has become both a powerful tool for participation and a fragile space that demands careful, responsible and purposeful navigation.
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Today, young Tanzanians dominate the digital public sphere. From WhatsApp groups and X timelines to TikTok videos, Instagram reels and Facebook pages, youth-driven content now sets the tone of public debate.
Political opinions are formed online, social grievances are aired digitally and national issues are debated in comment sections long before they reach formal platforms.
The speed and reach of these conversations have fundamentally transformed how information is produced, consumed and interpreted. This transformation has opened doors.
Digital platforms have democratised expression, giving citizens, particularly young people a voice that was once filtered through traditional gatekeepers.
Marginalised perspectives can now be heard, injustices highlighted and leaders questioned.
Yet alongside these gains has come a sharp rise in misinformation, hate speech, sensationalism and polarising narratives that threaten social cohesion and national stability.
It is within this complex and charged environment that Samwel Marwa, an assistant lecturer at the University of Dodoma and a specialist in mass communication, has issued a timely warning.
His message is directed not only at journalists and editors, but also at digital content creators and ordinary social media users: Tanzania's information space has become too influential and too volatile for ethical standards to be treated as optional.
According to Marwa, the country is facing a paradox. Never before have citizens had such access to platforms for expression, yet never has the risk of harm from careless communication been so high.
A single post, video or headline can spark outrage, deepen divisions or trigger panic within minutes.
In this context, ethical journalism is no longer an abstract professional ideal; it is a practical necessity for safeguarding peace.
"Young people are the most active participants in this digital space,"
Marwa observes, "and that makes the information environment both powerful and fragile."
The rapid movement of content from social media to mainstream newsrooms and back again means that narratives can shape public emotions long before facts are fully established or verified.
Rumour can masquerade as truth and opinion can easily be mistaken for evidence.
At the heart of Marwa's argument is a call to return to journalism's core principles. Accuracy and verification, he insists, remain non-negotiable.
In an environment saturated with speculation and unverified claims, the responsibility to check facts before publishing is more critical than ever.
"The first responsibility of any journalist is to ensure that information is correct," he says.
Publishing content that one is unsure about, particularly when it is amplified online, is not merely polarising narratives that threaten social cohesion and national stability.
It is within this complex and charged environment that Samwel Marwa, an assistant lecturer at the University of Dodoma and a specialist in mass communication, has issued a timely warning.
His message is directed not only at journalists and editors, but also at digital content creators and ordinary social media users: Tanzania's information space has become too influential and too volatile for ethical standards to be treated as optional. According to Marwa, the country is facing a paradox.
Never before have citizens had such access to platforms for expression, yet never has the risk of harm from careless communication been so high.
A single post, video or headline can spark outrage, deepen divisions or trigger panic within minutes.
In this context, ethical journalism is no longer an abstract professional ideal; it is a practical necessity for safeguarding peace.
"Young people are the most active participants in this digital space," Marwa observes, "and that makes the information environment both powerful and fragile."
The rapid movement of content from social media to mainstream newsrooms and back again means that narratives can shape public emotions long before facts are fully established or verified.
Rumour can masquerade as truth and opinion can easily be mistaken for evidence.
At the heart of Marwa's argument is a call to return to journalism's core principles.
Accuracy and verification, he insists, remain non-negotiable. In an environment saturated with speculation and unverified claims, the responsibility to check facts before publishing is more critical than ever.
"The first responsibility of any journalist is to ensure that information is correct," he says.
Publishing content that one is unsure about, particularly when it is amplified online, is not merely unprofessional it can be socially dangerous.
False or misleading information can generate fear, confusion and unnecessary tension within communities, undermining trust in institutions and in one another.
Balance and fairness, Marwa adds, are equally central to ethical reporting.
Allegations involving government institutions, private organisations, civil society groups or religious bodies must be handled with care.
All parties deserve a reasonable opportunity to respond, not as a courtesy, but as a foundation of credibility and professionalism. One-sided narratives may attract attention, but they erode trust and inflame conflict.
He also raises concern about the growing presence of hate speech across both mainstream media and digital platforms.
Content that incites hostility on the basis of religion, ethnicity, race or belief violates journalistic ethics and poses a direct threat to social harmony.
In a diverse society such as Tanzania's, careless language and inflammatory framing can quickly reopen historical sensitivities and deepen social fault lines.
"News should be presented neutrally, without bias and with the aim of building understanding and unity," Marwa stresses.
Sensational headlines and emotionally charged reporting may boost clicks and shares, but they often escalate disputes rather than contribute to their resolution.
Social media, he acknowledges, is now an unavoidable component of the media ecosystem. It has blurred the line between professional journalism and casual content sharing, enabling anyone with a smartphone to become a publisher.
While this has expanded participation, it has also created serious challenges. Many users especially young people share information without verifying it, sometimes out of ignorance and sometimes in disregard of existing laws such as the Electronic and Postal Communications Act and its accompanying regulations.
More troubling, Marwa notes, is the tendency of some mainstream media outlets to amplify voices that have already violated these laws. By giving prominence to misleading or harmful narratives, established institutions risk legitimising content that undermines public trust.
Yet he is careful not to demonise social media itself. Used responsibly, digital platforms can educate, counter falsehoods and clarify sensitive issues.
"The real challenge," he argues, "is that many citizens lack the skills to assess credibility or verify information before sharing it."
This gap highlights the urgent need for media and digital literacy programmes that equip young people with the tools to navigate online spaces critically and responsibly.
Beyond ethics and regulation, Marwa urges leaders and institutions to listen more attentively to what young people are saying online.
Social media platforms have become spaces where youth articulate their frustrations, expectations and lived realities.
Ignoring these conversations, he warns, creates a vacuum that can easily be filled by propaganda, manipulation and distortion. Rather than dismissing online discourse as noise, Marwa encourages a more constructive approach.
Young users, he says, should treat social media as a forum for dialogue rather than confrontation one that allows for disagreement without hostility, promotes reconciliation and facilitates peaceful engagement with leaders.
"Sustainable solutions emerge when people are willing to talk respectfully, avoid hate speech and stop assigning blame," he notes.
These concerns resonate beyond academia. Senior diplomat Omar Mjenga has echoed similar sentiments, calling on media editors to play a more assertive role in shaping national debates around peace, unity and the public interest particularly during periods of heightened disagreement.
Speaking at an editors' seminar themed *The Role of the Media in Safeguarding the Union*, Mjenga urged editors not to retreat from their responsibilities out of fear or pressure.
"Do not lower your standards," he cautioned. "Be bold, but remember that unity is our pride. Every story must be weighed against its impact on the nation."
Mjenga warned that national security can be destabilised when editorial judgement is exercised carelessly.
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While transparency and accountability are essential, he argued, journalists must also understand when disclosure genuinely serves the public interest and when restraint is warranted.
He further raised concerns about some media practitioners collaborating with foreign counterparts without sufficient consideration of national context and interests.
Adding another layer to the discussion, political analyst Hamiduni Maliseli cautioned against the mobilisation of young people particularly through social media without adequate civic education and ideological grounding.
Youth participation in public affairs, he said, is both legitimate and necessary, but it must be anchored in an understanding of democratic principles, political objectives and the consequences of collective action.
"When discipline and peaceful conduct are lost, the cost is borne by the entire nation," Maliseli observed, calling for stronger civic education to accompany political engagement.
Without this foundation, he warned, youthful energy can be easily manipulated or diverted into destructive paths. From the perspective of young citizens themselves, the stakes are equally clear.
Rahma Athumani, a student at the University of Dar es Salaam, described the current moment as decisive for the country's future.
She urged her peers to exercise self-reflection and responsible decision-making, reminding them that peace remains the foundation of national prosperity.
Conflict and violence, she noted, divert scarce resources away from development priorities such as education, healthcare and infrastructure.
"When peace is lost, everyone pays the price," she said. Across these diverse voices' academics, diplomats, analysts and students runs a shared conclusion.
Tanzania's digital information space is here to stay and its influence will only grow.
The challenge for journalists, citizens and leaders alike is to ensure that this power is used to inform rather than inflame, to connect rather than divide and to strengthen rather than erode the peace on which national progress depends.
In navigating this space with care, responsibility and purpose, Tanzania has an opportunity not only to harness the energy of its youth, but also to build a digital public sphere that reflects the country's enduring values of unity, dialogue and social cohesion.
