The Tanzania Media Foundation (TMF) is dedicated to enhancing transparency and accountability in Tanzania by supporting media and public interest journalism. Its objective is to augment the quality and quantity of public interest, accountability, and investigative journalism, which are currently insufficient in Tanzanian media.
TMF achieves this through three main functions: research, nurturing, and support for news media organizations and individual journalists, enabling them to sustainably produce high-quality and substantial journalism products.
In pursuit of its goal, TMF has launched the Public Interest or Tija Journalism Bank. This bank provides newsrooms and individual journalists with the opportunity to consistently generate high-quality journalism content, fostering accountability and transparency with the backing of TMF and its partners. Users of the bank will have the chance to benefit from TMF’s nurturing and support programs.
The PIJ-Bank comprises three main accounts:
The Public Interest Journalism Ideas (PIJI) Account: This account functions as a deposit account where journalists submit public interest ideas and story pitches. The deposited ideas undergo review against established criteria, and the creators receive support in the form of expert/nurturing, material, or financial assistance.
The Public Interest Journalism Story (PIJS) Account: This deposit account allows journalists and newsrooms to submit their published public interest stories for TMF’s review, competence assessment, and quality analysis. Depositors of stories meeting TMF’s quality criteria are honoured during the Annual Tija Journalism Awards (TIJAWARDS), set to commence in 2024.
The Public Interest Journalism Story Behind Story (SBS) Account: This deposit account is where newsrooms and individual journalists provide documentation of the narratives behind their stories. By narrating the most significant impacts or outcomes of their published public interest stories, journalists and newsrooms whose work has a substantial impact on human life and promotes accountability can qualify. TMF conducts an impact verification exercise for stories claiming high and unique impacts/outcomes for recognition and awards during TIJAWARDS.
The PIJ-Bank represents a significant step forward in TMF’s mission to strengthen public interest journalism in Tanzania. By providing tangible support and recognition to journalists pursuing accountability and transparency, TMF empowers the media to play a more prominent role in fostering a responsible and accountable society.
Are you a journalist? Do you have story ideas, published stories, or recorded any significant impacts resulting from your stories? Deposit in one of the PIJ-Bank’s accounts below.
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