TMF ANNOUNCES 2012 FELLOWS

TO ALL MEDIA PRACTITIONER

August 03, 2012 

After a competitive vetting process, the Tanzania Media Fund (TMF) has finally selected ten journalists to participate in the Fellowship Programme slated to start in early September, 2012. The ten scribes were picked following oral and written interviews from a group of 27 short-listed candidates from Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar. A total of 70 journalists had applied.

The selected journalists with their media outlets in brackets are as follows; Kulwa Magwa (Uhuru Publications Limited), Fred Okoth (New Habari (2006) Ltd), Frank Leonard (Tanzania Standard Newspapers Ltd) and Joas Kaijage (Mwananchi Communications).

Others are Gordon Kalulunga (Freelance journalist), Maryam Mkumbaru (Uhuru Publications Limited), David Azaria (Tanzania Standard Newspapers Ltd), Irene Mark (Free Media Limited), Stella Mwaikusa (Jambo Concepts Tanzania Limited) and Swaum Mustapher (Tanzania Standard Newspapers Ltd).

This year’s fellowship focuses on three specialized areas – the extractive industry (oil and gas), maternal health and business and economic reporting. Last year’s major was on agriculture and environment.

“I’m really delighted for having been selected as a fellow and will do my best to ensure I deliver accordingly and in the process enrich my skills through the mentorship and experience that I will get,” says David Azaria, a correspondent with Habari Leo/Daily News in Geita region.

To Irene Mark of Tanzania Daima newspaper, the fellowship is bound to change her approach in looking at news and tackling issues of public interest. “I stand to gain a lot from this programme, considering that it is tailored in a manner that encourages one to specialize on a subject of interest. I want to be an authority on maternal health issues,” says Irene.

Giving an overview of the entire process to getting the final ten fellows, the Director of TMF, Ernest Sungura said this year’s applicants were many and the process very competitive.

The fellowship programme was introduced two years ago with a view to bridging the existing rural-urban gap in media coverage.  It encourages journalists to write in-depth articles on specialized areas for a period of six months. TMF gives the fellows a modest stipend, covers transport costs and equipment during the fellowship.