KUNA mjadala umeibuka. Ulianzia Bungeni Dodoma, katika kikao cha pili cha Bunge hilo, cha Februari 2006. Mwandishi wa zamani, ambaye sasa ni mwanasheria na mbunge wa Kyela, Dk. Harrison Mwakyembe, alichokoza nyuki pale alipojenga hoja kwamba Bunge liazimie kuibana serikali iwasomeshe waandishi kwa kuwa baadhi yao, kama si wengi wao, hawana elimu ya kutosha, uandishi unabadilika na kukua kila mara na kwamba jukumu hili hawawezi kuachiwa wamiliki wa vyombo vya habari. Alitumia kila msamiati aliodhani kwamba ungemsaidia kujenga hoja na kuonyesha kwamba KUNA TATIZO. Maskini Dk. Mwakyembe, hakujua kwamba alikuwa anachokoza nyuki. Waandishi walichukia, na wengi wao sasa wamekuwa wakimshambulia magazetini kwa madai kwamba aliwatukana kuwaambia hawajasoma.Baadhi yao wanataka awaombe radhi. Wengine wamefikia hata kuazimia kutokuandika habari zake. Nawe u miongoni mwao? Una maoni gani? Soma hapa kwanza, upate maoni yangu. Soma na hii hapa.
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Masikini Mwakyembe...
Juzi juzi nilimsikia dada mmoja mwandishi hapa Adelaide aliyekuwa akitoa hoja kama ya Mwakyembe. Madai ya mwandishi huyo yalikuwa kwamba - waandishi wanaweza wakawa wanaandika juu ua suala la uchumi au maoni ya viongozi juu ya jambo nyeti ambalo wananchi wangependa wapate uchambuzi wa kina kabla ya kuamua kuchukua maamuzi. Tatizo lililopo hapa ughaibuni niliko ni kwamba waandishi wengi huwa wanaripoti yaliyojiri, na nani kasema nini.
Inawawia vigumu kuchambua ni jambo gani la kupewa uzito kwenye mada husika, jumlisha au toa yale yaliyojiri pamoja na kauli za viongozi na wataalamu.
Huyu mwana dada pia alishauri kwamba pengine ni vizuri mwandishi achukue shahada ya kwanza inayomtayarisha katika sanaa ya uchambuzi ikesha achukue diploma au shahada yoyote ya uandishi wa habari.
Sijui mwenzangu unaonaje hali hapo uliko, Mwawkyembe kabwabwaja au ana hoja?
Nimekwenda kasi kidogo, usijali swali la hapo juu. Kumradhi.
Nimesoma mawazo yako kwenye viunganishi. Naafiki.
Ngurumo uchambuzi wako ni wa kina kabisa. Labda tatizo la wasomi ni kubwa kuliko tunavyoweza kufikiri. Tatizo si kwa waandishi wa habari tuu ila kama unavyosema kwenye uchambuzi wako, inawezekana uandishi wa habari umeathirika zaidi. Hoja aliyoitoa Mwandani kuhusu applied journalism ni ya msingi sana. Kwa mfano kama mwandishi wa habari za uchumi akiwa na shahada ya uchumi halafu akafanya stashahada ya uandishi wa habari au shahada, basi atachambua kwa undani kabisa habari za uchumi na zieleweke na kila mtu. Sikumsikia Mwakyembe lakini kutokana na uchambuzi wa Ngurumo kuna haja ya kudadisi kama alieleweka au la!!
Ngurumo walahi Mungu wangu tuokoe na janga hili? Yaani leo waandishi wa Bongo wanapata mtu wa kuwatolea kilio kisha wanamtyoa kafara? Kweli tena wema nenda zako usingoje shukrani? Nani hajui kusuhu taaluma za waandishi wa Tanzania. Nani hajui kuwa walio nashahada wengi wao hawana taaluma ya uandishi wa habari? Nani hafahamu kuwa wengi ni waliofeli form four n six kisha wakakimbilia huko kwa ajili ya kupata maisha ya haraka? Nani hajui uandishi kanjanja wa Tanzania? Nani hatambui kuwa CHUO PEKEE CHA SERIKALI KILIKUWA TSJ na gharama zake zilikuwa juu hali iliyoweashinda wengi kusoma? Nani hajui kuhusu kushuka kwa usomaji katika Tanzania kunakotokana na maandishin ya watanzania kubakia na maudhui chapwa? Nani hajui kuwa waandishi wa Tanzania waweza waweka katika makundi na hata ukataja na majina pale inapofikia suala la kujenga hoja. Nani hajui athari ya kutosoma katika kugombania nafasi za madaraka kwa kujipendekeza walikonako waandishi wa Tanzania? KUNA KAZI, MWAKYEMBE NGOJA WAKUTUKANE NA HABARI ZAKO WASICHAPE TUTUMIE SISI KWENYE MAGAZETI TANDO YETU TUTAZIWEKA HUKU HUKU! Hujafa hujaumbika, samahani jamani kwa kuandika hovyo ovyo ni spidi hoja hii muhimu na vimajukumu vingine. Ngurumo tutajie kwa majina walioandika makala za kumpinga Mwakyembe ili tuwachambue na wao pia.
Nawajua kwa sababu nilisoma makala zao. Ni wao, wahariri wao na magazeti yao. Walitushawishi tumgomee Mwakyembe lakini mimi nilisema simo na Sitakuwemo. Nilipowachambua mmoja baada ya mwingine, nikabaini kuwa Mwakyembe aliwalenga wao na wao walimkataa Masiah. Ni watu wanaojua kuandika maandishi, amana wamejaza kurasa na kurasa-kama zile za Rai (kwa wanaolijua)-si habari wala makala. Hoja ya mwakyembe ikiungwa mkono na ikapita, nitakuwa wa kwanza kuomba ufadhili wa serikali (si mkopo) nikapate shahada nyingine. wazo la leo: Pengine Ngurumo ungeweka kiasi cha mjadala wa upande wa pili kuliko kutulisha upande wako mmoja.-alamsiki-
Miruko nifafanulie kuhusu hoja hiyo ya Mwakyembe kupita na namna tunavyoweza kunufaika na masiha huyu maana wengine tulishakufaga na mawazo ya kusomaga tu na hatuna haja na PHD feki sisi tunazitaka kavu kavu kabisa. Bado Miruko kama unavyojua huyu Ngurumo hata maoni hasomi nisaidie tupate haya majina ya waandishi waliomtukana huyu Mbunge kipenzi chetu katika weledi ili tuwangoje watakapoibuka nao kuomba kupata taaluma zaidi kufuatia kufanikiwa kwa hoja hii na tena tuweze kuchambua taaluma zao maana siku hizi hatuogopani tena.
samahani kaka ngurumo!
naingia anga zako bila kutaka kujiunga na upande wowote ila labda niweke kajambo kadogo sawa. dr mwakyembe ni mmoja wa wanafunzi wa kwanza wa tanzania school of journalism tjs (darasa lilikuwa luther house, hostel zanzibar hoteli) ambaye amefanya kazi kama mwandishi kwa miaka kadhaa. pia alikuwa mwenyekiti wa bodi ya wakurugenzi wa tsj kwa miaka kadhaa. (alikuw mwenyekiti mie niliposoma pale tsj 1994-1996), hivyo anajua akisemacho. na katika kuendeleza mjadala naomba nibandike intavyuu nilofanya na reggie mhango aliyekuwa mhariri mkuu wa guardian, baada ya kufanya kuwa naibu mhariri wa daily news kwa takriban miaka saba hivi. lugha ni ya ughaibu; naomba nisamehe...
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TZ journalism going to the dogs?
So thinks Reginald Mavunika Mhango, a quite-spoken Malawi-born veteran scribe who has spent over three decades practicing, mostly in Tanzania. I talked to him recently and here are the excerpts
Question: What is your perception of journalism in Tanzania
Answer: Well, I find it vibrant. But its vibrancy is overheating. I mean, like the way a car with a faulty engine that has overheated. ‘Inachemsha’, as they say in Swahili. That is how I find Tanzania’s journalism of today. It is dangerously overheating.
Q: Why so?
A: Why? Common journalism practices in this country is usurped and ignored – first knowingly then out of sheer ignorance.
Q: Can you elaborate, please?
A: It’s like this: There are two groups in the profession. The first one is of those people who have been in the field for ages and since the times have changed they flout common practices so that they can’t be ridiculed because whatever they write is regarded by the contemporary practitioners as no longer fashionable. And in order to earn a living they turn into mercenaries of the profession. It is now common to seeing rights of individuals or groups flouted knowingly. Most seem to forget or rather choose to ignore journalism’s fundamental basics and ethics. Take the rights of a person facing criminal charges for example. We all know that the person is innocent until proved guilty by the courts of law. Journalists are not to judge or give their opinion when covering court cases, or any other event for that matter, and only report the facts. Nowadays it’s the other way round and they seem to get away with it.
Q: Which is the second group?
A: The second group is of the ignorant. Many of these, with a few exceptions, are those who run the newspapers and their staff, Media schools or colleges and even the readers. Recruitment in many media houses today is questionable. Worse still managements seem to only look for quantity rather than quality in terms of content. Schools of journalism continue to churn out unfinished products. I mean, what do you expect from a school that offers a three-month journalism course? In the hey days of journalism one spends some 18 months in in-service training as a trainee reporter before going to college. The in-service training served two things. The first was to mould the prospective journalist while at the same time give him or her time to decide whether this is the profession to pursue. At the same time this is the time the employer used to appraise the candidate whether he or she fits the bill. In those days it was not strange to find that only one or two or three out of six or ten prospective journalists survive the 18 month training period, either for failing to live up to standards or simply for dropping out.
During those days you started by covering court, police and hospital beats, as well as political parties and sports clubs. The editor will tell you to go out and eat the dust, which you have to, literary, because going to an assignment by car meant you missed other potential story or photo opportunities on the way. The newsroom of those days were similar to National Service; no matter how thick your academic credentials were you had first to accept the reality of the job and all that it entails. Therefore if you were a degree holder the mandatory 18-month in-service training was for learning the rudiments of the trade by going up the ladder one rug at a time.
Nowadays a news editor is content with a reporter who comes back with what the police chief or the PRO of an institution have said, even if it were not true or required further quizzing and elaboration or investigation. Many news reports are from press conferences or press releases or official functions. Rare are stories from the ground, from the affected individuals, nothing. Just official comment that lack the touch of true journalism. Readers too seem to be contented with half cooked stories written by half cooked journalists. Otherwise they could have protested by way of not buying such papers.
I miss the days when there would not pass a week or month without Tanzanian media being quoted by Western media such as the BBC or Deutsche Welle or Voice of America following a brilliant story. Nowadays that is no longer because of two things; one, nobody quotes newspapers because they don’t contain news. Two, they are afraid to quote Tanzanian papers because they are not reliable… Don’t talk to media house owners, talk to news editors and sub-editors who handle the stories when they come in. Most will tell you that they spend hours to make sense out of poorly written stories that are submitted. That is not to mention the blatant flouting of laws and ethics governing the profession, as well as lack of follow-ups of stories; like, if you report my being arrested and charged, why should I not sue you for malice for not doing the same after my acquittal?
Q: Who is to blame?
A: The journalists are not to blame because this is how they have found the situation. It is not their fault. I don’t blame them at all because the custodians (i.e. media house owners, professional associations such as Tanzania Journalists Association, Media Council of Tanzania, and Tanzania Media Women Association) of the profession are in conspiracy of silence. They carry the ‘why worry if everyone does it’ attitude. Many of them accept half cooked journalists because the poor lads have no right to demand much, hence remain at the mercy of the publisher to decide what to pay them. In other words, to ensure that profit is maximized one has to do with cheap labour. Worse still, many journalists are not permanently employed and only get paid per contribution. This too has compounded the problem since the pay they get is very low; therefore they resort to sticking to lucrative assignments that offer ‘something’ at the end which they shamelessly call ‘mshiko’. Potential news sources are also to blame because they condone this unprofessional conduct not only by keeping mum but also prepare ‘press packages’ during functions! No package no coverage is the norm in many quarters these days…
Q: What should be done then to rectify the situation and save the profession from going to the dogs?
A: The custodians of the profession must act fast because in the end it is them who will suffer the consequences. Agreed, journalism has not been rated as a rare profession, and I second those who opposed the proposal because we have lost the argument through our own behaviour and attitude. But still it is a crucial profession. I also call upon owners of media houses not to recruit under-cooked journalists as this is a crucial profession that touches human rights in all sense of the word ‘rights’. Tanzania has great potential in the profession. That some local journalists have won prestigious international journalism awards attests to this. Now if they could win such laurels in such circumstances, imagine where would they be if they were to be given proper training and management? They could easily sweep the table and be in the same league with their colleagues in say Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.
The government on its part has the responsibility to ensure that all is well. The strengthening of regulatory machinery whose laxity is also to blame, should be given priority. Regulations of newspaper registration should also be reviewed and its regulation strictly adhered to, as well as a monitoring mechanism that should also be set. Freedom of the press does not mean one has to flout laws and ethics and laugh their way to the bank at the expense of the society.
Q: You have been very critical to Tanzania media, so to speak. Aren’t you any holding grudges?
A: I expect people to say that I am disgruntled, jobless, and jealous or something like that because most don’t like to be told the truth on the other side of the coin. We have always been saying that President (Benjamin) Mkapa had been anti-local media. I myself had been one who held those views. Actually, I even remember arguing against him in a BBC interview after he said that the Tanzanian media was full of graft. Then he was the Minister for information and we all got furious. Now I regret my outburst because I have come to realize that he knew better and more than I did. Even before I retired three years ago I have seen a lot of mercenaries polluting the profession, making the newcomers regard the trend as the norm. This should not be allowed to continue.
Q: Reggie, have you decided to retire?
A: Let’s say I had been in semi-retirement for the last three years. I had to take it easy so that I could nurse my wife who was terminally ill. I couldn’t do that had I been active. She passed away four months ago. I am recovering from the shock and I am also thinking of jumping back into the fray. I will be grateful to come back and find some positive changes in the profession.
Makene, nimekupata sana. walioandika makala kumpinga mwakyembe sina sababu ya kuwaficha, ni Mayage s. Mayage, na Mgaya Kingoba
Inachekesha. Waandishi wanapenda sana kukosoa na kusema mabaya na mapungufu ya wengine au nyanya nyingine ila mapungufu yao yakitajwa wanakuja juu. Kutokana na historia ya nyanja ya elimu ya habari na uandishi, ni ukweli wa wazi sana kuwa kuna waandishi wengi ambao hawana elimu ya kutosha ya taaluma hii. Wengine hawana elimu ya kutosha ya taaluma au na hata taaluma nyingine ambazo wanapaswa kuziandika. Waandishi wengine wana elimu tosha ya taaluma ila elimu yao ya masuala ya kijamii, utamaduni, uchumi, jiografia, dini, siasa, n.k. ni duni sana. Waandishi wachache sana wanajiendeleza kimaarifa kwa kujisomea na kutafiti. Mwandishi mmoja aliwahi kuniambia, "Unajua kwakuwa wewe (ndesanjo)unaandika makala na hauko "newsroom" unaweza kuwa na muda wa kujisomea. Sisi kazi zinatubana." Ni kweli kabisa kuwa wako waandishi wenye kazi nyingi sana, wanaamka mapema na kuchelewa kulala. Nilimwambia huyu mwandishi kwanini anapopanda basi toka nyumbani hadi ofisini anakaa tu ndani ya basi akitazama nje badala ya kujisomea? Kwanini anapokwenda ofisini kwa mtu, akaambiwa asubiri kidogo anaketi akizungusha macho huku na kule badala ya kujisomea? Ukipenda kujisomea, utatafuta hata dakika kumi kwa udi na uvumba.
Kama tunafahamu umuhimu wa fani hii katika kujenga jamii basi tutakubali kuwa suala la kuwa na waandishi wenye upeo wa juu na walionolewa vyema sio la kuachia wenye vyombo vya habari bali ni suala la jamii nzima (ikiwemo serikali). Kama tukikubali kuwa nchi yetu bado haina mfumo wa elimu ambao tunaweza kujivunia, tutakubali kuwa karibu fani zote (ikiwemo ya uandishi) zina watu wengi ambao wanahitaji elimu zaidi.
Akina Nkya na wengine, kwa mfano, wametaja suala la waandishi kuwa na taaluma fulani kisha kusomea uandishi. Mfano mzuri wa tatizo wanalotaka kuliondoa kwa mapendekezo yao ni jinsi waandishi wanavyoandika habari za mahakamani. Kuna waandishi ambao wanachoandika mahakamani ni vioja: mshtakiwa ajamba, shahidi asahau jina, na mambo kama hayo. Mambo ya msingi yanayoweza kutusaidia wasomaji kujua fulani fulani zinavyokwenda yanatupita.
Nanshukuru sana kwa maoni yenu kuhusu hoja ya Mwakyembe. Inavyoelekea, waliomvamia sasa wameanza kuona aibu, maana nimegundua hata Rais Jakaya Kikwete ametucheka baada ya kuona malumbano yetu. Alipotembelea wizara ya habari, utamaduni na michezo, alimwagiza waziri mhusika aweke mkakati wa kuwaendeleza waandishi kitaaluma. Harakati hazijaisha. Hivyo, tusidhani kauli ya Kikwete inatosha. Tupanue fikra. Tuongeze shinikizo. Yafaa kabla ya kikao cha bajeti cha bunge letu, ili matunda ya kwanza yaonjwe mwaka huu (2006/07). Mwaonaje?
Nimeusoma mjadala miye nitauita Mjadala wa Mwakyembe. Waandishi wa Magazeti Tando mnapaswa kujua msingi wa hoja ya Mwakyembe ambayo haikuwa ni kutaka sisi waandishi tukasome. Msingi wa hoja yake yalikuwa ni manunguniko yake kwamba sisi waandishi ni wapuuzi, Tunapenda kuandika mambo kijuu juu na kiubabaishaji. Yeye alikuwa anakerwa na mjadala uliokuwa ukiwasimanga wabunge kwa kutaka kuongezewa posho. Kwa maneno yake Mwakyembe anasema eti waandishi waliifanya ile kuwa ni ajenda ya wabunge wote wakati ilikuwa ni ya watu wachache tu.
Jambo la ajabu ni kwamba wakati mjadala mkali dhidi ya wabunge ukiendelea, Mwakyembe alikaa kimya. Hata Spika Samuel Sitta alipoungana na wabunge kudai maslahi zaidi, yeye Mwakyembe alikaa kimya. Alipofika bungeni ndipo akatoa hoja hiyo na katika kuihitimisha akasema kwa kebehi, waandishi wakasome.
Sisi tunaompinga Mwakyembe hatupingi hoja ya kutafuta elimu zaidi. Tunajua umuhimu wa elimu na ajenda ya kupigania elimu ya waandishi haikuanzishwa na Mwakyembe tumeianzisha sisi waandishi wa habari. Sisi ndiyo tumekuwa tukihoji kukosekana kwa elimu ya juu ya uandishi wa habari hapa Tanzania kabla ya kuanza kwake miaka ya karibuni. Jenerali Ulimwengu aliandika kuhusu hilo miaka mingi tu iliyopita.
Tunajua kwamba Mwakyembe alipokuwa mwandishi, alikuwa na elimu ndogo tu ya sekondari na alipokwenda Chuo Kikuu akaukimbia kabisa uandishi. Mimi kwa mtazamo wangu, Ansbert umeupotosha mjadala. Mwakyembe ameidharau taaluma ya uandishi wa habari. Ameipuuza, na sasa anaitukana na kuikashifu kwa sababu tu, waandishi wamegusa maslahi ya wabunge.
Yeye Mwakyembe kwa miaka kadhaa ya karibuni alikuwa Mjumbe wa Bodi ya Wakurugenzi wa Magazeti ya Uhuru yanayomilikiwa na CCM alifanya jambo gani la maana kupigania elimu ya waandishi. Hakufanya jambo lolote. Mkitaka kumfahamu vizuri Mwakyembe angalieni rekodi yake Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam, angalieni rekodi yake ya kisiasa na mtamfahamu ni mtu wa namna gani.
Nchi hii tunahitaji kuwa na wasomi wazalendo, wenye mawazo ya kizalendo kweli kweli. Tunapaswa kuwa na wasomi wenye dhamira safi na si wababaishaji. Tunahitaji viongozi wenye dhamira safi. Wanaosema kile wanachomaanisha.
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