Tanzania bans circulation of regional weekly
Nairobi, January 27, 2015–Tanzanian authorities banned circulation of the privately owned regional weekly The East African on January 21, citing the newspaper’s lack of registration, according to news reports. Local journalists said they believed the paper was shut because of its critical coverage of the government.
Advertising and Censorship in East Africa’s Press
The printed word is thriving in parts of Africa, but advertisers’ clout means they can often quietly control what is published. By Tom Rhodes Kenyans read election coverage in the Mathare slum in Nairobi, the capital, on March 9, 2013. One reason that advertising revenue trumps circulation for East Africa’s newspapers is that readers often…
Obama should urge promotion of free press in Tanzania
Dear President Obama: Ahead of your first trip to East Africa, we would like to bring to your attention the deteriorating state of press freedom in Tanzania. In your meetings with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, we ask that you discuss the critical importance of press freedom to economic development and democracy.
Tanzanian authorities ban weekly indefinitely
Nairobi, July 30, 2012–The Tanzanian government today banned indefinitely the critical Swahili-language weekly MwanaHalisi, accusing the paper of publishing seditious articles, according to local journalists and a statement by the information ministry. The ministry claimed that MwanaHalisi’s four July editions contained seditious and false material but did not specify particular articles. Under the 1976 Newspaper Act, Tanzanian…
Government threatens press in pre-election Tanzania
As the October 31 national elections draw near, Tanzania’s media is in a frenzy trying to cover the close race between the two leading presidential candidates. But government threats and draconian media laws may be getting in the way of objective coverage.