The role of internet in enhancing news reporting in Tanzania: the case Study of TBC1 and Channel Ten TV Broadcasting Media

This study examined the role of the Internet in enhancing news reporting and television broadcasting in Tanzania and problems they encounter in the process. Forty two purposively selected respondents participated in this study. Data for this study was collected through a survey using a self-administered questionnaire supplemented by face-to-face interviews and observations which was an analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Key findings revealed that use of Internet sources has enhanced journalists’ news reporting, and maintaining and that journalists use internet sources to prepare news reports, news monitoring and downloading of pictures and news attachments. Journalists also use newspapers, radio, and television broadcasts for news reporting. Findings further revealed that journalists encounter a number of problems including how to determine the authenticity of Internet sources; slow internet bandwidth; the language barrier; unreliable power supply; lack of search skills; and inadequate numbers of computers. The study recommends that journalists should be trained in computer and information literacy skills in order to cope with the fast changing information and ICT environment. The media industry should also develop appropriate information literacy training programmes and expose journalists to relevant subject-based search engines. Further more, media industries should be improved in terms of both human and physical resources and should also promote resource sharing.