Workshop on Access to Information, Media and Accountability in Tanzania

March 6-8, 2008

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Since the onset of multi-party government in Tanzania, the media and information environment has been slowly shifting – the role of the media is increasingly seen as a watchdog  on government institutions and a voice for popular concerns. However, much of the legal basis in support of open information is still rooted in legislation passed during the 1970s. Now with the media and access to information bills to be considered by parliament, the legal foundation for the media’s right to tell and the public’s right to know is under debate.

The overarching objective of the workshop is to strengthen good governance capacity in Tanzania through an improved access to information environment and strong media law. The specific objectives of the workshop are:

• To highlight the role of freedom of information (FOI) laws in shaping accountable and transparent governance in Tanzania
• To assess the strengths and weaknesses of proposed legislation on media and access to information
• To identify the key implementation issues that will need to be addressed when the laws are enacted
• To devise an action plan to support the passage of media and FOI laws
• To provide local oversight and watchdog institutions with guidance on funding opportunities

This workshop was organized by WBI with support from CommGAP.

Please click here for a preliminary agenda (PDF 106 kb).

Materials

Andrea Figari. Access to Information, Media and Accountability in Tanzania.

William Bird. Why Media Monitoring Matters for Democracy and Good Governance.

News Coverage

• Mengi Calls on the Media to Strive for Mastery of Trade, Objective Reportage. The Guardian. March 7, 2008.
• Prof. Kabudi Calls for Enhancement of Media Work. Thisday March 7, 2008
• Journos Told to Avoid Divisive Reportage. The African. March 7, 2008