Tanzania Bloggers Network (TBN) Chairman Beda Msimbe (left) meets with the Journalism Accreditation Board’s Acting Director General, Advocate Patrick Kipangula, during their meeting at the Board’s offices in Dar es Salaam on 16 July 2026. The meeting followed TBN’s formal request for professional training for more than 200 bloggers on media law, journalistic ethics and the importance of accreditation.
By TBN Staff Writer
The Journalists’ Accreditation Board (JAB) has received a formal request from the Tanzania Bloggers Network (TBN) seeking training for its more than 200 members on the Media Services Act, journalism ethics, and the importance of obtaining professional accreditation.
The request was submitted on 16 July 2026, when TBN Chairman Beda Msimbe met with JAB’s Acting Director General, Advocate Patrick Kipangula, during discussions held at the Board’s offices in Dar es Salaam.
Speaking after the meeting, Advocate Kipangula said the Board had received the request and was ready to work with the network to help bloggers gain a deeper understanding of the Media Services Act, professional ethics, and the value of accreditation.
He said the training would begin with bloggers who are already accredited, aimed at strengthening their professionalism and understanding of their professional responsibilities, before extending to those who have not yet obtained accreditation.
“Those without accreditation will get the opportunity to be guided on the legal requirements for obtaining it, including the necessary qualifications required under the Media Services Act. Those who do not yet meet the required qualifications will be advised to pursue further education so they can meet the criteria for accreditation,” Advocate Kipangula said.
For his part, TBN Chairman Beda Msimbe said the training would help the network’s members carry out their duties in line with the law, ethics, and professionalism, while also contributing effectively to informing the public and promoting Tanzania through coverage of development initiatives being implemented across various sectors.
He added that the collaboration between the network and JAB would help build the capacity of bloggers and strengthen their contribution to the country’s media sector.
Background
The request marks a notable step in efforts to bring Tanzania’s growing community of digital content creators and bloggers into closer alignment with the formal regulatory framework governing media practice in the country.
The Media Services Act has, since its introduction, set out qualification requirements and ethical standards that traditional journalists are expected to meet, and the extension of similar guidance to bloggers reflects the increasing recognition of digital platforms as a significant source of public information.
TBN’s more than 200 members represent a wide cross-section of Tanzania’s online content creators, many of whom operate blogs, social media pages, and other digital platforms that reach large audiences, particularly among younger Tanzanians who increasingly turn to online sources for news and updates.
By prioritising already-accredited bloggers in the first phase of training, JAB appears to be taking a phased approach that rewards those who have already engaged with the formal accreditation process, while creating a clear pathway for others to follow.
The emphasis on further education for those who do not yet meet the qualification criteria suggests the Board intends the programme to be developmental rather than punitive, encouraging capacity-building rather than simply excluding non-accredited bloggers from practice.
Observers of Tanzania’s media landscape note that partnerships of this kind between regulatory bodies and digital media associations could help address longstanding tensions between traditional journalism institutions and the newer wave of online content creators, many of whom have historically operated outside formal press structures.
No specific date has yet been announced for when the training sessions will begin, though both JAB and TBN indicated their intention to move forward with the collaboration.
Further details on the training schedule, curriculum, and criteria for accreditation are expected to be announced in due course as the two organizations finalize the arrangements for the programme.
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