Dar es Salaam — MAJORITY of Tanzanians believe the country's media operate freely, according to a new survey by Afrobarometer, which ranks Tanzania as the top performer in Africa on perceived press freedom.
The report, which was released as the world marks Press Freedom Day today, shows that perceptions of media freedom vary widely across the continent, ranging from 81 per cent in Tanzania and 77 per cent in Liberia to 28 per cent in Comoros and 16 per cent in Congo-Brazzaville.
Afrobarometer, a panAfrican, non-partisan research network, provides data on citizens' views on democracy, governance and quality of life. Since 1999, it has conducted 10 survey rounds across up to 45 countries, with the latest Round 10 (2024/2025) covering 38 nations.
The surveys are based on face-to-face interviews with nationally representative samples of adults conducted in respondents' preferred languages.
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Across Africa, opinions remain divided, with 53 per cent of respondents saying the media in their country is largely free, while 43 per cent believe it faces censorship or interference.
The 2024/2025 findings show that 81 per cent of Tanzanian respondents believe the media is "somewhat" or "completely" free to report without government interference, the highest level recorded among the countries surveyed.
Tanzania ranks ahead of Liberia (77 per cent), Tunisia (75 per cent) and Namibia (75 per cent), all of which also show relatively high confidence in media independence.
In contrast, countries such as Congo-Brazzaville, Comoros and Cameroon report significantly low levels of perceived media freedom, with majority expressing concerns about censorship and government control.
The survey also reveals strong support in Tanzania for the media's watchdog role. About 72 per cent of respondents said the media should consistently investigate and report on government mistakes and corruption.
This aligns with a broader continental trend, where 72 per cent of Africans support the media's oversight function. Support is particularly high in Mauritius (86 per cent), Nigeria (83 per cent), Uganda (82 per cent), Ghana (82 per cent), Congo-Brazzaville (81 per cent) and Chad (81 per cent).
Even in countries where support is low such as Mozambique (58 per cent), Angola (56 per cent) and São Tomé and Príncipe (54 per cent), only minority prefer the media to avoid reporting negative developments.
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The report further highlights shifts in Africa's media landscape driven by digital technologies. Increasingly, people access news through smartphones and computers, enabling faster information flow.
More than 80 per cent of Africans report accessing news through at least one mass media channel, with radio remaining the most widely used due to its accessibility, although its dominance is gradually declining.
At the same time, digital media continue to gain ground, even as growth in online news consumption begins to stabilise.
