Ubora wa Maudhui: JamiiForums yaongoza kwa maoni yanayokosoa Serikali na kujumuisha mitazamo mbalimbali

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JF Roving Journalist
Apr 18, 2017
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UBORA WA MAUDHUI YA VYOMBO VYA HABARI TANZANIA 2018
UTANGULIZI
Wanataaluma wa tasnia ya habari, wanahabari, na jamii kwa ujumla wana matarajio sawa kuhusu ubora wa vyombo vya habari. Matarajio haya yanajumuisha kuandika/kurusha habari zenye maslahi kwa jamii, kuzingatia ukweli, kutoa habari sio tu za matukio ya kila siku, bali kwenda mbali zaidi na kuchambua masuala mbalimbali. Uandishi wa namna hii utaweza kujenga ajenda za kisiasa, utazalisha majukwaa ya midajala na kuhamasisha mitazamo mbalimbali, na kuwawajibisha walio na mamlaka.

Utafiti huu unaangazia ubora wa vyombo vya habari kwa kutumia vigezo maalumu vya ubora wa habari. Utafiti huu umefaidika sana na utafiti wa awali wa mwaka 2017 na umeongeza idadi ya vyombo vya habari kutoka 12 kwa mwaka 2017 mpaka 25. Pia, umejumuisha vyombo vya habari kama redio za kijamii, redio za mikoani, blogu, mitandao, vyombo vya habari vya mitandaoni na vyombo vya habari kutoka Zanzibar.

Mazingira ya Kibiashara
Mazingira ya kibiashara yametawaliwa na kushuka kwa mapato yatokanayo na matangazo kwa redio, magazeti na televisheni, watangazaji kuhamishia matangazo yao kwenye vyombo vya habari vya mtandaoni, na kuhama kwa wasomaji, wasikilizaji na watazamaji kutoka vyombo vya habari vya jadi kwenda vyombo vya habari vya mtandaoni. Kushuka kwa matangazo kwa sehemu fulani kumechangiwa na maamuzi ya Serikali kupunguza bajeti yake ya matangazo ikiwa ni njia mojawapo ya kupunguza matumizi. Kabla ya uamuzi huu, Serikali ilikuwa ndio mtangazaji mkuu kwenye vyombo vya habari nchini.

MBINU ZA UTAFITI
Moja ya mbinu za kitafiti za kupima namna vyombo vya habari vinavyoripoti habari zao, ni kwa kuchambua maudhui yanayotolewa (habari, makala, na vipindi) kwa kutumia vigezo vinavyofanana.

Utafiti huu umetumia vigezo maalumu vya kupima ubora wa maudhui ambavyo vilijadiliwa na kukubaliwa na wahariri na wadau wa sekta ya habari . Vigezo hivi vimekuwa vikitumika kupima ubora wa maudhui nchini . Vigezo hivi vimegawanyika katika maeneo manne kama inavyoonekana kwenye jedwali hapa chini

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Mwaka 2017, jumla ya vyombo vya habari 12 vilijumuishwa kwenye utafiti wa majaribio. Wakati wa kujadili matokeo ya awali ya mwaka 2017, ilipendekezwa kwamba utafiti wa mwaka 2018 ujumuishe vyombo vya habari vingine kutoka Tanzania Bara na Zanziabar, na hususani redio za mikoani. Baada ya majadiliano na wadau mbalimbali, jumla ya vyombo vya habari 25 vilijumuishwa kwenye utafiti huu
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MATOKEO YA UTAFITI
Sampuli ya utafiti huu umejumuisha habari, makala, vipindi na posti 1,886 kutoka magazeti 7, redio 12, televisheni 4, blogu 1, na mtandao 1. Uwasilishaji wa matokeo unatenganisha redio za mikoani na redio za kitaifa kutokana na tofauti zao.
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1. Mada zilizoripotiwa na vyombo vya habari
Masuala yanayoangaziwa na vyombo vya habari ni pamoja na uchumi(29%) hii ikijumuisha miundombinu, mafuta na gesi, usafirishaji, biashara; masuala na maendeleo(28%) ikiwemo afya, elimu, kilimo na mazingira. Masuala yenye mvutano kama matatizo ya kijamii, migogoro, haki za binadamu, masuala ya jinsia, utawala bora nakadhalika yamechukuwa asilimia 16.

Ajali na uhalifu/kesi za mahakamani zimeripotiwa kwa asilimia 12. Kuripotiwa kwa masuala ya kisiasa kuko chini (11%), hii ikijumuisha maudhui ya sera, uchaguzi, usalama wa taifa, na majadiliano ya kisiasa. Masuala ya utamaduni, vyombo vya habari na tafiti vimeguswa kwa kiasi kidogo
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Hata hivyo, kila kundi la vyombo vya habari lina namna lilivyoangazia mada hizi kama inavyoonekana kwenye chati hapa chini.
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Jedwali hapo juu linaonesha kuwa Magazeti yanaongoza kuripoti masuala ya kisiasa, lakini yako katikati (wastani) katika kuripoti masuala ya kiuchumi, maendeleo, na ajali/uhalifu. Redio za kitaifa zinaripoti habari za maendeleo zaidi, na kwa uchache habari za kisiasa. Redio za mikoani zinaongoza kuripoti habari zenye utata pamoja na (JamiiForums) na zile za maendeleo, ikifuatiwa na habari za kisiasa. Zinatoa nafasi kidogo kwa habari za uchumi na ajali/uhalifu.

Televisheni zinaongoza kuripoti habari za kiuchumi na ajali/uhalifu, huku zikitoa nafasi kidogo kwa habari za maendeleo na kisiasa. Michuzi blog ina idadi kubwa ya habari zenye maudhui ya ajali/uhalifu, na maendeleo na uchumi, lakini idadi ndogo sana ya habari za kisiasa na zenye utata. JamiiForums inaongoza kutoa taarifa za kisiasa (kama magazeti), na idadi kubwa ya habari zenye utata (kama redio za mikoani).

2. Habari za kitaifa na za mikoani
Redio za mikoani zinaripoti zaidi habari za mikoani (71%, ukilinganisha na wastani wa 60%). Michuzi Blog ina habari nyingi zaidi zenye taswira ya mikoani, wakati JamiiForums imejikita kwenye masuala yenye taswira ya kitaifa.

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3. Sababu za kuripotiwa kwa habari
Matokeo yanaonyesha kwamba magazeti yanaweka sababu za kuripotiwa kwa habari fulani (ikipimwa kwa kuwa na paragrafu mbili au zaidi ambazo zinatoa maelezo ya sababu husika) kwa 37%, wakati redio za kitaifa zinafanya hivyo kwa 15%.

Idadi kubwa ya habari zisizokuwa na sababu ya kuripotiwa kwa habari husika ni za redio za kitaifa na Michuzi Blog. Mlengo wa JamiiForums ni wa kujenga mijadala na kubadilishana mitazamo, na sio sana katika kuchimba na kupata sababu za kwanini jambo fulani limetokea. Hii inaonekana kuwa ni wajibu wa magazeti au TV.

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4. Ujumuishaji wa mitazamo mbalimbali kwenye habari
Uwepo wa mitazamo mbalimbali kwenye habari/kipindi ni njia nzuri ya kuwajuza wananchi. Inatoa fursa ya kuonyesha kwamba watu wanaweza kuwa na mitazamo tofauti na hivyo kuifanya habari iwe kamili na yenye mizania. Mada zinapaswa kuripotiwa kwa kutumia lensi tofauti, ambayo inaongeza ukamilifu wa habari.

Magazeti yanaongoza kwa kuripoti habari kwa kutumia angalau lensi mbili kwa 24% ya habari zote, yakifuatiwa na redio za mikoani(12%), redio za kitaifa (10%), na TV (10%). Kwenye Michuzi blog na JamiiForums, hali sio nzuri kwani kuna mtazamo zaidi ya mmoja kwa asilimia 1 na 3, mutawalia.

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4.1 Ujumuishaji wa maoni kwenye habari
Chati namba 9 inaonyesha kwamba magazeti (32%) na JamiiForums (38%) ndio yanajumuisha maoni mbalimbali kwenye habari/taarifa zao, yakifuatiwa na redio za mikoani (29%). Redio za kitaifa zinafanya hivyo kwa 17%. Michuzi Blog inafanya hivyo kwa 1%.

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4.2 Ujumuishaji wa maoni kinzani kwenye habari
Kuweka mizania katika habari ni msingi mkuu wa uandishi wa habari kwa kuhakikisha kwamba maoni kinzani yanapewa nafasi. Hili linaonekana kufanywa zaidi na JamiiForums na sio vyombo vya habari.

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5. Habari zenye kukosoa Serikali
Ni nadra kwa vyombo vya habari kutoa habari zenye kuikosoa Serikali. Ni JamiiForums pekee ambayo ina maudhui yenye mlengo huo kwa 35%, ikifuatiwa na redio za mikoani na magazeti ambazo zina 4% kila moja. Tayari mwaka 2017 wahariri walishabainisha kwamba vyanzo vya habari vyenye mawazo kinzani na serikali haviko tayari kuzungumza hadharani.

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6. Muundo wa habari
Muundo mzuri wa habari unamwongoza msomaji au msikilizaji kuanzia mwanzo hadi mwisho wa habari husika. Redio za kitaifa ziko chini kidogo ya wastani (56% ya muundo mzuri wa uandishi), ikiwakilishwa na magazeti na redio za mikoani. Vituo vya televisheni na JamiiForums vinafanya vizuri, ingawa tofauti sio kubwa kama inavyoonekana kwenye chati namba 11.

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Imeandaliwa na
Baraza la Habari Tanzania likishirikiana na Spurk Media Consulting Ltd., Bern, Switzerland

Watafiti
Christoph Spurk, Bern, Switzerland,
Abdallah Katunzi, Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
 
Hongera kwa JamiiForums kuibuka chombo cha habari tajika kuliko vyote Tanzania. WanaJF tuendelee kutembea vifua mbele kwa kuongoza kutoa habari zilizo na uandishi mzuri na majadiliano kinzani mapana.

Kama kawaida wanaJF huwa ripoti yoyote inayokuja hapa jukwaani tunakimbilia source / chanzo ili kuona kama imewakilishwa vyema ripoti bila kufanyiwa editing kwa madhumuni ya chanzo kilichonikuu ripoti hiyo.

Kwa hivyo tunaingia ktk chanzo halisi kupata ripoti kamili ambayo haijachujwa : https://tanzania.mom-rsf.org/uploads/tx_lfrogmom/documents/16-1508_import.pdf

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Considering the importance of quality reporting for democracy and the scarcity of sound data on media quality in Tanzania, the Yearbook on Media Quality Project is a practical solution as it intends to generate realistic data to enable media houses and other stakeholders to improve the quality of media reporting.

To test the methodological approach and procedures, a pilot project was conducted from September to December 2017 by Spurk Media Consulting Ltd with the financial support from the Swiss Embassy in Tanzania. It is the first study in Tanzania that systematically compares the media genres of Print, Radio and TV in the same study. Most of the studies have been limited to print only.

The study content analysed a randomized sample of 537 journalistic units (print articles, radio and TV news and programs) from 12 media houses namely Mwananchi, The Citizen, The Guardian, Nipashe, Daily News, Radio One, TBC Taifa, Radio Free Africa (RFA), Clouds FM, ITV, TBC1, and Azam TV.

The quality of reporting was measured according to specific criteria, which are related to the fields of journalism techniques (e.g. diversity in sourcing, triggering coverage by official calendar or not, balance in stories, probing); comprehensiveness of information (e.g. covering root causes, background, diversity of viewpoints); and understandibility for the audience (e.g. explaining figures, giving stories a good structure, clear idea in story).

These criteria were discussed and agreed upon by editors and media stakeholders in a quality criteria workshop organised on 19th September 2017 in Dar es Salaam.
Broadly, the study found out that the topics covered are relevant to a developing country like Tanzania; a large portion of articles showed a crystal clear idea; most articles referred to the perspective of ordinary people and most sources were made transparent.

However, the study also discovered challenging performances on a general level in the following criteria: too many articles (over 50%) were triggered by organized events, only following the official calendar of events instead of creating own news agenda; too many articles with single source; few articles (only 24%) covering root causes of events of issues or the history to an event; too many articles (72%) with just one viewpoint; few articles (25%) putting figures into a good context; too many articles with not good structure, i.e. logical links between the different paragraphs, were missing and little probing in interviews and radio programs.

In terms of media categories, the study established that Radio news is of low quality compared to newspapers and TV news. This is worrying as radio news is listened to by large parts of the population in the country. As a topic and as a perspective, Politics is hardly covered by many media houses, which points to a lack of debate culture, lack of culture of having diverse opinion.

Media Quality Yearbook appeals for improved performance
In order to improve on the quality of media reporting, it is recommended that the media houses use the project results to improve on the quality of their reporting, and particularly in areas where their performance is below the average. To better help the media houses assess themselves, the study invented an individual performance sheet in which individual media house performance is compared v/s average and highest performer. This sheet acts as a mirror and training needs assessment for the respective media house.

As this was a pilot study, it is also recommended that a fully-fledged Yearbook on Media Quality be conducted in 2018 with more samples including weekly newspapers, community radios and online platforms. With more samples, the study is likely to generate sound data upon which major decisions can be derived from.

Based on the aforementioned findings, it is obvious that the quality of media reporting in Tanzania is a matter of concern to all stakeholders and the quality needs to be strengthened. It is even alarming when some basic quality indicators are not met such as the need to have more than one source in a story, the need to look for stories outside the normal calendar of events etc. It is equally alarming considering the number of media training interventions that have been organised for years, and the general results are not showing any positive trends.

Failure to meet these basic quality indicators may compromise the democratic function of the media as the media won’t be able to provide the real information diet for most of the people leading to information malnutrition in the society. A society suffering from information malnutrition cannot meaningfully engage in democratic debate, and chances of their ability to improve on governance become slim.

Consequently, there is a need to reverse the situation with all stakeholders involved – development partners, government, media owners, media managers and editors, journalists, journalism training institutions, media organisations etc. With this view of the study findings, the researchers recommend several actions to be taken as shown below.

Fully-fledged Yearbook: as this was a pilot study, there is a need to embark on a fully-fledged Yearbook on Media Quality in 2018 with a bigger sample including weekly newspapers, community radio stations, and online platforms. This will help to get a realistic picture at national level and develop a realistic roadmap of intervention regarding quality reporting in the country; Media context chapter: Include a section/chapter in the Yearbook report on context of media and its development in the country.

The inclusion of this section/chapter enables stakeholders to gauge the media quality v/s the context in which the media operates. This includes, among others, engaging media stakeholders in a qualitative study to uncover the causes behind media performances. In some instances what may be seen as a low performance in media quality, may in fact be the opposite considering the rough terrains the media and journalists have to endure to get stories out; Using performance sheet: as the study has invented the individual performance sheet – a sheet summarizing individual media house performance, it can be used by media houses as a training needs assessment to guide them in organising training of journalists especially in areas where their performance is below the average; Working with radio stations to improve radio news: the results have shown that radio news is the least performer in most of the quality indicators, and this is not healthy as radio is the dominant medium for most Tanzanians especially those residing in rural areas.

There is therefore an urgent need to engage radio stations to better their news programs technically (journalism skills) and structurally (news formats); Presentation of results to media houses and wider audience: as quality of media reporting concerns many stakeholders, there is a need to engage them as a way to further disseminate the research findings. These groups of stakeholders have to be engaged: editors and media managers (through presentation), government (through research report), journalism university lecturers and students (through presentation), media houses (through individual performance report and presentation), development partners interested in media support (presentation and short report) etc; Publication of results: for the fully-fledged Yearbook, the results of all stations be openly published and the media (editors and journalists) are in favour of transparency.
READ FULL REPORT : SOURCE: https://tanzania.mom-rsf.org/uploads/tx_lfrogmom/documents/16-1508_import.pdf
 
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