Press freedom: Tanzania makes big leap
TANZANIA: Tanzania has enjoyed a significant rise in the World Press Freedom Index, jumping up 46 positions from 143 in 2023 to 97 this year.
The remarkable leap saw Tanzania occupy top spot in East Africa in respecting press freedom, the World Press Freedom Index report released on Friday by Reporters Without Borders showed.
While Tanzania leads the way in the East African region, Kenya sits in 102nd position, DR Congo occupies 123rd, with Uganda ranked 128th. South Sudan is ranked 136th, Ethiopia 141st, and Rwanda 144th.
The report was released on Friday as Tanzania joined the rest of the world to mark World Press Freedom Day.
The day is celebrated globally on May 3 each year, and this year’s theme was “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis.”
Tanzania’s improvement in respecting press freedom has been achieved through the five indicators used, with the country scoring high marks in each indicator.
In the political indicator, the country scored 94 points in 2024, up from 138 it received in 2023. In the economic indicator, the country got 108 points this year, up from 157 it garnered last year.
In the legislative indicator, Tanzania scored 120 points in 2024 compared to 159 points it received in 2023, while in the sociocultural indicator, Tanzania garnered 82 points this year compared to 128 obtained last year, and 98 points in the security indicator, up from 107 received last year.
Through his social media handle, Minister for Information, Communication, and Information Technology Nape Nnauye said, “The World Press Freedom Report released today indicated that Tanzania has improved in respecting freedom of the press globally. It has climbed from the 143rd position in 2023 to the 97th position, leaving behind all other East African countries.”
This acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.
Since assuming power in March 2021, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has taken various steps to promote press freedom and the development of the media in the country, including reviewing various legislations to enable journalists and media houses to carry out their duties freely and lifting bans on some media outlets.
She has emphasised respect for the freedom of the media that comes with responsibilities.
The President said the media is crucial to the development of society but must operate within established laws and help African governments achieve their objectives.
