The Tanzanian government has come out to sharply criticise international media outlets, particularly CNN, over the reporting and depiction of scenes in the country following the controversial presidential elections.
Through spokesperson Gerson Msigwa, the Tanzanian government described reporting by international media as biased and unverified, with an accusing finger being pointed at CNN for allegedly tarnishing the country's image.
According to the spokesperson, international media outlets ran with images and videos which were making rounds on social media without necessarily seeking verification or the Tanzanian government's side of the story.
"These outlets failed to seek out the government to hear the other side of the story. This was a very big mistake. The government calls on CNN to exercise ethics in airing their stories and avoid sharing stories without verified sources," he said.
Without mentioning names, Msigwa proceeded to fault journalists from some of the outlets for allegedly wholly relying on satellite and social media images for their stories.
The criticism came in response to a CNN investigation led by Kenyan correspondent Larry Madowo, which documented disturbing cases of alleged police shootings of unarmed officers.
In the documentary, it was alleged that there was a site of mass graves where victims of the protests and police brutality were buried to mask the extent of the killings.
Madowo had earlier taken to social media to claim he previously attempted to report from Tanzania on the polls but was denied journalistic accreditation and was thus unable to enter the country as a journalist.
During the press conference, Msigwa emphasised that while the Tanzanian government was not restricting foreign media in the country, the government expected them to operate “within the tenets of journalism”.
The spokesperson further praised local media in Tanzania for what he described as responsible reporting, claiming that there was a larger campaign from foreign media to destabilise Tanzania.
Since the October 29 election, Tanzania has been plunged into chaos and unrest, with protests rocking several major towns from the start of November. Opposition leaders have since accused incumbent Samia Suluhu of electoral manipulation, leading to some of their supporters being charged with treason in their hundreds.
Meanwhile, the government of Tanzania recently established a Commission of Inquiry chaired by retired Chief Justice Mohamed Chande to probe into the recent chaos.
Larry Madowo has received surprise backing from Tanzanian locals, particularly on social media. On Saturday, a curious online campaign was launched where Tanzanians changed their profile pictures to that of the Kenyan journalist as a show of solidarity.
