Press freedom is not a reward from our rulers, it's a fundamental human right

Tanzanian journalists and media stakeholders joined their counterparts in the world to mark the world’s Press Freedom Day with fear, doubt and dashed hope. Their fear, doubt and elusive hope are caused by the brutal events that have clouded the Tanzanian media industry during the past few months. Tanzanian journalists, especially those practising ‘watchdog’ journalism that stands for public interest, are in fear because they are being hunted like animals by their tormentors. If they are not kidnapped, tortured or jailed, they are simply shot dead in cold-blood murder by those who are supposed to protect them. Some have suffered acid attacks and are still nursing the wounds till today. If they survive all these deadly attacks, their newspapers or media houses face indefinite closure from the government, simply because these journalists have angered the ruling elite. Tanzania is rapidly becoming one of the worst places to be a serious journalist and, if the situation is not controlled, we shall find ourselves in another Somalia. Press freedom in Tanzania is at the crossroads. Behind this fear, doubt and shuttered hope, there’s a misleading lie that press freedom in Tanzania is a gift from our rulers. There are those who claim that the freedom of the press we have seen in this country is a reward from our rulers, which is a pure lie and, above all, cheap propaganda. Press freedom is a fundamental human right, which is not granted by any ruler and should be protected by the constitution. If we believe that Press freedom is a reward from our rulers, then we shouldn’t be surprised if the very same rulers take that freedom back once we have angered them for reporting what they call ‘bad stories.’ No leader in the world is willing to reward journalists press freedom and it has never happened anywhere. Leaders are forced by the constitution not to grant or reward press freedom but to protect it. Have we forgotten how former US President Thomas Jefferson took a dramatic u-turn when the very same media he had once praised and vowed to protect wrote negative stories about his leadership? This is what he first said, “The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter." But when the very same newspapers wrote what he disliked, the same Jefferson later on said, “The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.” That’s why today we call upon all journalists and all well-wishers to understand that press freedom is not a gift given on a golden plate by our rulers; it’s our fundamental right as human beings, which can only be granted and protected by the constitution. Tanzanian journalists and media owners shouldn’t be fooled at all that press freedom is a reward from our ‘beloved’ rulers. That’s a total lie. We are in the process of making our new constitution and this is the best chance to ensure that press freedom is constitutionally protected. Not only that but also journalists and media owners should defend press freedom at any cost by practising their duty professionally, legally and bravely. The government should also stop the ‘madness’ of closing newspapers indefinitely because such practice signals dictatorship and brutality. If there are journalists or media houses that have broken the law, the government should go to court to seek justice; that’s what good governance is all about.