Thesis
Newspapers make an important communication channel for disseminating many kinds of
information. However, there are concerns in many developing countries such as Tanzania
that important developmental topics such as climate change are not often given adequate
coverage and prominence; instead much attention is paid to topics such as politics,
entertainments, crimes, and advertisements.
This study established the coverage of climate change information in Tanzanian
newspapers for a span of 10 years. Specifically, it sought to determine the frequency of
reportage given to climate change information in Tanzanian newspapers, determine the
level of prominence given to climate change information by Tanzanian newspapers,
establish the sources of information used by newspaper journalists to obtain climate
change information, and assess the use of newspapers in accessing climate change
information by selected peri-urban newspaper readers in Tanzania. Quantitative data were
collected through content analysis and survey whereas qualitative data were collected
through key informants interviews. The sample size of the study was 1,600 newspaper
editions, 44 newspaper journalists, and 153 peri-urban newspaper readers. Purposive
sampling technique was used to select newspapers, regions, and key informants. Snowball
sampling technique was used to select peri-urban newspaper readers. Systematic and
simple random sampling techniques were used to obtain newspaper editions and
journalists. Quantitative data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 20
whereas qualitative data were analysed using content analysis.
This thesis was developed in paper format. The first paper analysed the level of attention
given to climate change information by Tanzanian newspapers. The results indicate that
Tanzanian newspapers had very few (684; 0.84%) articles on climate change giving yearlyiii
average of 68.4 articles. Chi-square test indicates a significant difference at 5 percent level
of significance (χ2 = 21,765, p-value < 2.2e
_16
) between the level of coverage of climate
change articles and that of other topics in the selected newspapers. These findings suggest
that Tanzanian newspapers do not pay adequate attention to climate change issues.
The second paper analysed the level of prominence given to climate change information
by Tanzanian newspapers. The findings indicate that of the 684 climate change
information articles published in 10 years, only 53 (7.6%) articles appeared on the front
pages of the six Tanzanian newspapers, giving yearly average of five articles for all
newspapers and only one article for each newspaper per year. Chi-square test shows a
statistical significance at 5 percent level (χ2 = 10.000; p-value<0.002) between placement
of articles on the front and inside pages. These findings suggest that climate change
information in Tanzanian newspapers is not given the required level of prominence.
The third paper assessed information sources used by Tanzanian newspaper journalists to
collect climate change information. The findings indicate that 64 percent of climate
change experts and 34.1 percent of daily events such as community meetings and other
social gatherings were the main sources of climate change information consulted by
newspaper journalists in Tanzania. Other sources of information were less consulted.
These include libraries and information centres (2.3%); brochures, magazines, and
bulletins (5.6%); journals (11.4%), books (14%), and internet websites (22.7%).
Challenges such as abiding by journalistic norms to balance news in climate change
(91%), low motivation (77.30%), lack of interest in climate change (75%), financial
constraints (68.20%), lack of awareness on the available sources of information (63.64%)
and limited knowledge on climate change (61.36%) prevented newspaper journalists from
seeking and reporting climate change information.iv
The fourth paper assessed the use of newspapers by peri-urban newspaper readers in
accessing climate change information. The findings show that newspapers (65%) are
important sources used by peri-urban newspaper readers to access climate change
information. Peri-urban newspaper readers experienced challenges such as inadequate
coverage of climate change information (87%), unreliability of climate change
information (84%), low prominence attached to climate change information (82%), cost
barriers (78%), inadequate community information centres and public libraries (73%) in
peri-urban areas. These were reported as constraints that impeded newspapers from
accessing climate change information.
In view of the foregoing findings, it is concluded that coverage of climate change
information in Tanzanian newspapers is very low. This is reflected by the few number of
climate change articles in these newspapers. Similarly, the level of prominence attached to
climate change articles is very low. This means that Tanzanian newspapers have not
adequately played their role of reporting developmental issues including climate change.
Increased coverage of climate change information in Tanzanian newspapers is necessary
for the government and general public to direct their efforts to climate change adaptation,
coping, and mitigation strategies. Furthermore, newspaper journalists prefer to consult
interactive sources to obtain climate change information because they allow a two-way
flow of information, they are easily accessible, and they use and provide instant responses.
Likewise, climate change information consumers prefer to use newspapers written in
Kiswahili which is understood by majority of readers and those which have high news
coverage and circulation.
The following recommendations are made:
(i)
Government and private media houses should formulate and introduce clear
guidelines and policies of ensuring that the levels of coverage and prominence ofv
developmental issues including climate change information in Tanzanian
newspapers are increased.
(ii)
Government, private newspaper media houses, climate change researchers,
organisations involved in the fight against climate change,
and journalism
colleges should collaborate and devise strategies aimed at building capacity to
newspaper editors, journalists, and reporters of dealing with climate change
information. This can be achieved by introducing climate change journalism
course which will in turn lead to the acquisition of specialised skills and
knowledge in writing and reporting evidence based scientific developmental
issues findings including climate change in the print media such as newspapers.
Newspaper media houses should overcome barriers that impede coverage and
reportage of climate change information. One way of overcoming such barriers
include the provision of adequate financial resources to newspaper journalists
which will help them acquire necessary resources including ICTs and for meeting
other necessary expenses such as travel and accommodation which in turn will
enable them to participate in research works for increasing coverage of climate
change information in the newspapers.
Climate change information generators such as Tanzania Meteorological Agency
should repackage and disseminate reliable climate change forecast that address the
needs of the public through popular newspapers with national status.
National and local government authorities should provide adequate financial
support
to
public libraries in establishing community information resource
centres in peri-urban areas for enabling newspaper readers to access
developmental information particularly
newspapers at no or minimal costs.
Mzumbe University and Sokoine University of Agriculture