MCT urges media neutrality ahead of polls

ARUSHA: THE Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) has urged media houses to maintain neutrality, uphold professionalism and adhere to ethical standards by avoiding content that promotes or discredits specific parties or candidates, as the nation braces for the upcoming General Election.

The Council has strongly called upon media practitioners to refrain from aligning with any political party or any candidate throughout the election period, especially during the campaigns.

Outlining the Council’s election guidelines in Arusha yesterday, MCT Executive Secretary Ernest Sungura equally reminded journalists intending to run for political positions in the upcoming General Election to temporarily withdraw from their newsroom duties to avoid conflicts of interest and uphold public trust.

“During election periods, every political party presents its manifesto to the public. Media outlets must cover these manifestos fairly and equitably to enable voters to make informed choices,” he explained.

He said although journalists have the right to seek political office, continuing to practice journalism while pursuing political ambitions contravenes professional ethics.

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“Journalists who engage in politics while continuing performing their journalistic roles risk losing public trust. Once a journalist is seen as politically aligned, their credibility is compromised,” he said.

He added: “There is a clear conflict of interest. Journalists involved in politics may report with bias, driven by personal or party agendas. Mixing journalism with politics is both unprofessional and unfair, as it undermines the integrity of the media and reduces it to a platform for propaganda.”

To safeguard journalistic standards, Mr Sungura reiterated that any journalist intending to contest in the elections must take a formal leave of absence from newsroom duties.

He further noted that journalists who fail in their political bids but wish to return to the profession must do so transparently and in a manner that rebuilds public confidence.

“They should consider contributing through special columns or feature articles, while clearly disclosing that they previously contested in an election,” he noted.

Mr Sungura appealed to a broad range of stakeholders including media institutions, civil society organisations, journalism training institutions, political leaders, government officials, media owners, advertisers, sponsors and the diplomatic community to fulfil their roles responsibly in ensuring a fair and transparent electoral process.

Mr Sungura, who also serves as President of the Network of Independent Media Councils in Africa (NIMCA), announced that a four-day NIMCA conference will be held in Arusha starting July 14 this year.

He said the event, which is set to be opened by the Vice-President, Dr Philip Mpango is expected to attract over 500 participants.