Dar es salaam, October 15, 2013
BUSINESS Investigative reporting in Tanzania still faces a lot of
challenges, including lack of specialisation and limitation in terms of the
number of stories published in the media, according to Managing Director of
PAMOMA Communication and Research Company, Anthony Muchoki.
Muchoki was among the Media Consultants who facilitated at a one year
business investigative course for 16 journalists registered by the St.
Augustine University of Tanzania with support of BEST-AC and Agricultural
Non-State Actors Forum (ANSAF). BEST-AC works to improve business
environment in the country.
They are a grant giving programme which assist organisations to create a
better business environment. They work with membership, trade, media and
business associations from the private sector.
The organisations include Chambers of Commerce and sector specific bodies,
such as the Agricultural Council of Tanzania. An important part of the
advocacy process for BEST-AC is to make sure that various issues related to
business are aired or published for the public to be well informed.
“Investigative journalism requires passion, efforts and correct data. Some
newspapers have tried to have business desks for their investigative
reporters, but they still lack a lot in content,” he said. Muchoki who has
worked with various media houses in the country, said investigative stories
are not an easy task as they consume time and resources.
He said journalists who aspired to be business investigative reporters must
make sure that they have interest in that area of coverage, which according
to him needs lots of dedication.
“However, if you really want to be somebody in the field of journalism, you
have to work as an investigative journalist,” he said. He urged reporters
to put more strategies to investigative journalism, where by so doing they
will be recognised by both society and the government.
“You can see today, all the big scandals which are reported and published
were done through investigative journalism which has a big role to play in
the national development,” he said, adding: ” If you are not investigating,
you are not qualified to be a journalist, you will only deal with PR
business reporting.”
One who needs to qualify for the profession, must follow on professionalism
reporting by avoiding ‘brown envelopes,’ which according to him, tarnish
their status before the community they work for. Head of Department (Mass
Communication) at St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), Iman Duwe
thanked the journalists for a long journey they went through up to the time
of graduating.
“You deserve to be with us today. When you were in the class rooms and
doing field attachment, you proved that you real could perform. I salute
all of you,” she said. She urged journalists to use wisely the knowledge
they get in empowering business communities in the country be well informed
on business related issues which touches directly their lives.
“People are eagerly wanted to know on tax payments, doing business with
private sectors, how to get loans and many more, all these depend on you to
facilitate them,” she said. She urged them to keep on developing their
career, including joining various courses of short and long courses to
sharpen their reporting skills.
On their party, journalists thanked SAUT Administration for their efforts
of finding donors (BEST-AC and ANSALF) who made them to be proud of one
year Investigative Business reporting, which strengthened their business
reporting skills.
Samwel Mwanga of Tanzania Daima newspaper in Maswa District, Simiyu Region,
promised to work harder and utilise the skills on good investigative
business gained from the college. “I didn’t know much about business
reporting. I thank SAUT, BEST-AC and Ansalf, they are behind my success.
I wrote a business feature which made a big impact on the community I
worked for,” he said. Promising to join the journalism fraternity, Monica
John who is Information and Public Engagement Programme Officer with
Hakikazi based in Arusha, said she has made progress after attending the
training.
“I studied mass communication but I was afraid of engaging in journalism,
especially writing news. Now I have a passion for investigative journalism,
” she said.
Anthony Mayunga of Mwananchi thanked the donors who financed the course,
saying they had made him reach. Clara Matimo of Mtanzania in Mwanza Region,
promised to work hard after attending the course. “Now I can be able to
make analytical feature stories, mostly in agribusiness,” she said