In this presentation, the citizens of Tanzania speak on media freedom and free speech. There is nearly a universal (96%) satisfaction with freedom of expression in the country.

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Free speech within bounds? Tanzanians’ support
for critical and independent news media and
evaluation of media performance
Findings from the Afrobarometer Round 6 survey in Tanzania
Prepared by Rose Aiko
REPOA, Dar es Salaam, 23 April 2015

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Outline
• At a glance
• About the Afrobarometer and survey data
• Context
• Perceptions of individual freedom of speech
• How important is media freedom to the
Tanzanian public?—support for critical and
independent media
• Is it serving its purpose?—public perception of
conduct (reliability) and performance
(effectiveness) of news media

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At a glance
• Majority of citizens support critical investigative, and
independent news reporting.
• However, there is growing preference for less
negative news.
• Concern about the effect of too much negative reporting
on the rise since 2012.
• Rising support for government control.
• A stable majority, since 2012, express confidence in
reliability of news media reports. However, at least 1 in
5 express reservations.
• Media rated by a majority as effective in investigating
and reporting corruption, but a slight decline in 2014
compared to 2012.

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What is Afrobarometer?
• An African-led, non-partisan survey research project that
measures citizen attitudes on democracy and governance, the
economy, civil society, and other topics.
• Started in 12 countries in 1999, to cover 36 African countries in
Round 6(2014-2015).
• Goal: To give the public a voice in policy making by providing
high-quality public opinion data to policymakers, policy
advocates, civil society organizations, academics, news media,
donors and investors, and ordinary Africans.
• National Partners in each country conduct the survey. In Tanzania,
Afrobarometer Round 6 survey was conducted by REPOA.

5. Where Afrobarometer works

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Methodology
• Nationally representative sample of adult citizens
 All respondents are randomly selected.
 Sample is distributed across regions and urban/rural areas in
proportion to their share in the national population.
 Every adult citizen has an equal and known chance of being
selected.
• Face-to-face interviews In the language of the respondent’s
choice.
• Standard questionnaire allows comparisons across countries and
over time.
• Sample size in Tanzania of 2,386 adult citizens yields a margin of
error of +/-2% at a 95% confidence level.
• Fieldwork for Round 6 in Tanzania was conducted between 26
August and 29 September 2014.

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Survey demographics
7
Gender %
Male 50
Female 50
Location
Urban 34
Rural 66
Mainland 97
Zanzibar 3
Education
No formal education 11
Primary 61
Secondary 22
Post-secondary 6
Age %
18-25 20
26-35 30
36-45 23
46-55 14
56-65 7
Over 65 5
Don't know 1

8. Context
• Civil society concern over state’s growing
intolerance of critical opinion and dissent in
Tanzania in recent years.
• Several critical newspapers suspended or
deregistered, extralegal intimidation of press,
suing for libel reported.
• Self-censorship by journalists, reported to be
common as a result.
• Dearth of analyses of popular attitudes as
regards media independence and conduct.

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Individual freedom of speech

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Key findings
■ Tanzanians remain generally satisfied with the
level of individual freedom of speech.
■ Nearly unanimous (96%) satisfaction with freedom of
expression in 2014.
■ In 2012, Tanzania among the top-rated countries (out of 34
in Africa) in terms of public satisfaction with individual
freedom of speech (second after Malawi) (Mitullah and
Kamau, 2013).

11. In 2003, respondents were asked: We are going to compare our present system of government with the former system of one-party rule.
Please tell me if the following things are worse or better now than they used to be, or about the same: Freedom to say what you think?
In 2005, respondents were asked: Please tell me if the following things are worse or better now than they were a few years ago, or are
they about the same: Freedom to say what you think?
In 2008, 2012, and 2014, respondents were asked: In this country, how free are you: to say what you think?
Individual freedom to say what one thinks
75%
69%
92% 93% 96%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2003 2005 2008 2012 2014
Is freedom of speech
better or worse today?
(% better or much better)
In this country how free are you to say
what you think? (%
somewhat/completely free)

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Support for critical investigative
media

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Key findings
■ 65% support critical investigative media, say the media should
constantly scrutinize the government and report malfeasance.
This is 15 percentage points lower than in 2012.
■ Support comparatively high in Zanzibar, in urban areas, among
youth, and among well educated.
■ However, proportion of citizens expressing concern about too
much negative reporting has risen from 18% in 2012 to 31% in
2014.
■ Exposure to news media is associated with higher individual
support for critical media, but support tends to average among
the most frequent users of news media.

14. Respondents were asked: Which of the following statements is closest to your view? (% of
respondents)
Support for critical investigative media | 2008-2014
79% 80%
65%
4% 2% 4%
17% 18%
31%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
2008 2012 2014 2008 2012 2014 2008 2012 2014
The news media should
constantly investigate and
report on government
mistakes and corruption
Don’t know/agree with
neither statement
Too much reporting
on negative events,
like government
mistakes and
corruption, only
harms the country

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Supportforcriticalinvestigativemedia
|bylocation,gender,age,and
educationlevel|2014
31%
32%
21%
31%
32%
31%
32%
26%
29%
32%
41%
33%
35%
27%
33%
28%
29%
4%
4%
0%
1%
5%
2%
5%
3%
4%
3%
2%
7%
4%
12%
3%
2%
1%
65%
65%
79%
69%
63%
67%
63%
71%
67%
66%
57%
61%
61%
62%
64%
70%
71%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
All Tanzania
Mainland
Zanzibar
Urban
Rural
Male
Female
18 - 25
26 - 35
36 - 45
46 - 55
56 - 65
66 or older
No formal education
Primary
Secondary
Post-secondary
Agegroup
Educatio
nlevel
Media should avoid negative reporting Don’t know/agree with neither
Media should check the government

16. Support for critical media by degree of exposure to news | 2014
31%
36%
32%
27%
34%
33%
4%
11%
4%
1%
0%
1%
65%
53%
64%
73%
66%
66%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
All respondents
Never read, watch or listen to
news
Less than once a month
A few times a month
A few times a week
Every day
Frequencyofexposureto
news
Media should avoid negative reporting Don’t know/agree with neither
Media should check the government

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Public support for independent news
reporting

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Key findings
■ More than half (53%) of citizens say the media
should have the right to publish any views and
ideas without government control.
■ This is 20 percentage points lower than in 2012.
■ The proportion of respondents favouring
government control rose from 26% in 2012 to 44% in
2014.
■ Exposure to media modestly associated with higher
level of support for independent media.

19. Support for independent media | 2012-2014
Respondents were asked: Which of the following statements is closest to your views? Choose Statement 1 or Statement
2. (% who “agree” or “agree strongly”)
1: The media should have the right to publish any views and ideas without government control.
2: The government should have the right to prevent the media from publishing things that it considers harmful to
society.
73%
53%
1% 3%
26%
44%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
2012 2014 2012 2014 2012 2014
Media should publish as
they wish
Don’t know/agree with
neither statement
Government should
control what the media
publishes

20. Support for independent media by exposure to news | 2014
53%
48%
51%
59%
56%
53%
3%
9%
3%
1%
0%
0%
44%
42%
46%
40%
44%
47%
All respondents
Never read, watch or listen to news
Less than once a month
A few times a month
A few times a week
Every day
Frequencyofexposureto
news
Media should publish as they wish
Don’t know/agree with neither
Government should control what the media publishes

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Public evaluation of reliability of news
reports by the media

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Key findings
■ A stable majority (65% in 2014 compared to
67% in 2012) express trust in reliability of news
reports
■However, 1 in 5 are concerned and a much
higher proportion is non-committal in their
assessment.
■ The more educated persons are not only more
likely to approve of news reliability, but also to
express concern about lack of it.
■ Exposure to media has modest positive
correlation with approval of news reliability.

23. Does the media abuse its freedom by publishing things
it knows are not true?| 2014
Respondents were asked: In your opinion, how often, in this country, does the news media abuse its freedoms by
printing or saying things it knows are not true?
67% 65%
29%
22%
3%
13%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
2012 2014 2012 2014 2012 2014
Never/rarely Often/always Don’t know

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Doesthemediaabuseitsfreedombypublishing
thingsitknowsarenottrue|2014 22%
22%
32%
27%
19%
24%
20%
20%
21%
25%
25%
17%
26%
16%
21%
27%
28%
13%
13%
16%
8%
16%
9%
17%
14%
12%
13%
12%
13%
12%
22%
15%
6%
1%
65%
66%
52%
65%
65%
67%
63%
66%
67%
63%
63%
71%
62%
62%
65%
67%
71%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
All Tanzania
Mainland
Zanzibar
Urban
Rural
Male
Female
18 - 25
26 - 35
36 - 45
46 - 55
56 - 65
66 or older
No formal education
Primary
Secondary
Post-secondary
Agegroup
Education
level
Often/Always Don’t know Never/rarely

25. Perceived reliability of news reports | by extent of exposure to news |2014
22%
17%
20%
25%
26%
28%
13%
25%
16%
8%
3%
4%
65%
58%
64%
67%
72%
68%
All respondents
Never read, watch or listen to news
Less than once a month
A few times a month
A few times a week
Every day
Frequencyofexposureto
news
Often/always Don’t know Never/rarely
Respondents were asked: In your opinion, how often, in this country, does the news
media abuse its freedoms by printing or saying things it knows are not true?

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How effective is the media in its
watchdog role?

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Key findings
■ Three fourths (76%) laud news media’s
effectiveness in investigating and reporting
malfeasance.
■ Media effectiveness is rated more positively by
residents of Zanzibar compared to the
mainland, men compared to women; and
rises with education level of respondents
■ Approval of media effectiveness also strongly
correlated with frequency of exposure to
news.

28. Media effectiveness in exposing corruption | 2012-2014
Respondents were asked: In this country, how effective is the news media in revealing government
mistakes and corruption?
5%
3%
9%
15%
43%
54%
41%
21%
2%
6%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2012
2014
Not at all effective Not very effective Somewhat effective
Very effective Don't know

29. Media effectiveness in exposing corruption | by frequency of exposure to
news | 2014
Respondents were asked: In this country, how effective is the news media in revealing government
mistakes and corruption?
18%
18%
19%
15%
20%
15%
6%
19%
7%
3%
1%
0%
76%
63%
74%
81%
79%
85%
All respondents
Never read, watch or listen to news
Less than once a month
A few times a month
A few times a week
Every day
Frequencyofexposure
tonews
Not at all effective/not very effective Don’t know
Somewhat effective/very effective

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Mediaeffectivenessinexposingcorruption|
bylocation,gender,age,andeducation
level|2014
18%
18%
11%
20%
17%
17%
19%
19%
18%
15%
15%
23%
22%
22%
17%
17%
17%
6%
7%
3%
3%
8%
4%
9%
6%
6%
6%
6%
7%
6%
18%
7%
1%
1%
76%
75%
86%
78%
75%
79%
72%
74%
76%
78%
78%
70%
72%
60%
76%
81%
82%
All Tanzania
Mainland
Zanzibar
Urban
Rural
Male
Female
18 - 25
26 - 35
36 - 45
46 - 55
56 - 65
66 or older
No formal education
Primary
Secondary
Post-secondary
Agegroup
Education
level
Not at all effective/not very effective
Don’t know
Somewhat effective/very effective

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Conclusions

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• Citizens are generally satisfied with individual freedom
of expression.
• A shift in public sentiment:
– Preference for less negative reporting, rising support for
government control.
• Approval of media conduct (news reliability), but also
some concern regarding lack thereof.
• Media effectiveness approved by a majority, but
approval has weakened in 2014 compared to 2012.
• Challenges for the media:
– Regaining popular support for independence
– How to meet public preference for less negative reporting
– Defending credibility in the face of growing state strictness

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Thank you
Shukran
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