“It is difficult for journalists to uphold professional standards in the face of economic hardship, a fact that political candidates are well aware of and often exploit during election periods,” said Conrad Mchunga, a freelance journalist based in Iringa.
As Tanzania approaches its 2025 general elections, concerns are rising over whether journalists will be able to provide fair, accurate, and unbiased coverage or whether financial struggles and political pressure will compromise their independence.
Tanzania is home to more than 100 media houses, including print, electronic, and web-based outlets. Within these institutions, particularly in both Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, hundreds of journalists work under challenging conditions. A large number are volunteers, and many of those who are paid earn only a small amount per published story.
Because of these financial struggles, it’s easy for politicians to step in and offer money in exchange for favourable coverage. “Many journalists earn very little, and some depend on their news sources for their daily income,” said Clement Sanga of Channel Ten.
Chairperson of Iringa Press Club, Frank Leonard, agrees: “This makes them vulnerable to bribes from political parties and candidates with deep pockets.”
Journalists speak out
As the elections get closer, many journalists say the pressure only gets worse during campaign season. “Beyond financial and security concerns, many journalists maintain close ties with the ruling party, often gravitating toward it in pursuit of opportunities,” says Abisai Steven of Crown FM. “Given this dynamic, expecting them to offer fair coverage to opposition parties is unrealistic. As a result, the public should expect politically biased reporting from these journalists.”
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Joseph Mpangala from Azam TV noted that due to the financial struggles of many media outlets, journalists often lack the means to report what they truly see. Instead, they write stories that please political candidates in hopes of receiving financial support, turning economic hardship into a reason to align with politicians.
“During elections, it’s common for political parties to select their own journalists to follow them on the campaign trail,” Musa Juma, Chairperson of the Journalist Workers Union of Tanzania (JOWUTA), tells me. “Those who report truthfully risk being expelled, some even abandoned in remote areas. This is worsened by media houses lacking funds to support their reporters. Even when reminded of journalistic ethics, economic struggles often hold them back.”
Berdina Majinge of Matukio Daima explained that sometimes journalists may not want to accept money, but the majority of media owners have aligned themselves with political parties for their own benefit. She noted that regardless of whether journalists take the money or not, media owners still influence election coverage.
Jumanne Ndondole, a freelance journalist, added: “Giving fair coverage to every political party is possible, but our families have to eat too. I get my income from sources after they see their story printed. Some contestants simply can’t afford to pay us. I hope you understand the challenge here.”
Irene Mwakalinga from TBC highlighted that with limited financial support from media houses, many journalists find themselves vulnerable to influence, compromising the quality and independence of election coverage. She mentioned that at TBC, a state broadcaster, they typically provide a stipend during elections to prevent journalists from relying on external sources, aiming to ensure fair coverage for all political parties.
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Dishon Kadege from Jambo TV noted that while journalists can report without bias, it becomes extremely difficult in an environment where their livelihood depends on political candidates. He emphasised that achieving impartial reporting requires strong ethics, resilience, independent institutions, and a society that values unbiased news.
Uneven coverage
Looking at past elections, it’s clear that media coverage hasn’t always been balanced. A 2020 report by the University of Dar es Salaam’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication revealed highly uneven media coverage of presidential candidates.
CCM’s John Magufuli received 70 per cent of the coverage, followed by CHADEMA’s Tundu Antipas Lissu with 35 per cent. ACT-Wazalendo’s Bernard Kamillius Membe received nine per cent, and CUF’s Prof Ibrahim Haruna Lipumba got eight per cent. Two female candidates, Queen Cuthbert Sendiga (ADC) and Cecilia Augustino Mmanga (Demokrasia Makini), received only five and three per cent of the coverage, respectively.
These figures raise questions about whether journalists will be able to cover the 2025 general elections professionally, especially in light of ongoing financial constraints.
Financial hurdles
Media house owners and station managers acknowledge the financial constraints that affect editorial choices, particularly during an election season.
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“In this coming election, we will allocate 30 minutes of free airtime per week to each party,” said Nobi Swalle, a media manager at Njombe’s Uplands FM. “But when it comes to live coverage and buying airtime for jingles, they have to pay. If they didn’t allocate a budget for media coverage, that’s not our problem.”
John Nkoma, Director of Nuru FM, was even frank. “In-depth election reporting requires resources which many newsrooms don’t have. Without funding and support from stakeholders, I’d be lying if I said many media houses will be able to fact-check party manifestos or promises made by contestants. That means the contestants and political parties with money might have all the journalists and their media houses on their side.”
The public’s expectations
Some citizens who closely follow media coverage expressed concern that financial challenges could erode public trust in journalism and distort the democratic process.
“This year’s general election will be a real test,” Stanslaus Mhongole, former chairperson for the Iringa Tanzania Teachers Union. “We want to see whether journalists can rise above their financial problems and report accurately, without bias.”
“The problem with journalists during elections is that they tend to focus on one or two dominant political parties, mainly because these parties offer stipends,” Fatuma Msaki, a citizen, opined. “Smaller parties receive little to no coverage. In the end, there’s no fair coverage at all.”
READ MORE: Tanzania’s Media Reminded to Promote Candidates’ And Citizens’ Voices During Elections
Recently, the Media Institute of Southern Africa, Tanzania Chapter (MISA TAN), through its Chairperson Edwin Soko, urged journalists to publicly declare their intention to run for political office in order to avoid conflicts of interest.
As Tanzania moves toward the 2025 elections, the ability of the press to remain independent may well determine the credibility of the entire democratic process.
Temigunga Mahondo is a seasoned journalist and media trainer. He’s available at temig2003@gmail.com.
One Response
The article is so informative, it highlighted the really situation of our media Industry, Most of the journalists depending on the “brown envelopes” to survive instead of focusing on factual reporting as well as not abiding with the media ethics.