DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- The East African Community (EAC) on Thursday launched the East Africa Press Councils (EAPC), an umbrella body bringing together media regulatory authorities within the region, the EAC said in a statement.
The statement said the EAPC, launched by EAC Secretary General Peter Mathuki in Tanzania's northern city of Arusha, draws its membership from media and press councils in EAC member states to promote and protect free, independent, professional, and accountable media in East Africa.
Mathuki said the integration process in East Africa should be people-centered and market-driven, and therefore the media is critical in taking the message of integration to the people at the grassroots, who are the actual owners of integration.
He said it is crucial that the media, as a stakeholder in integration, fully understand the process so that they can unpack it in simple language for ordinary people, adding that empowering the media on integration issues is therefore key.
Mobhare Matinyi, the director of Tanzania Information Services and the chief government spokesperson, urged the media to take advantage of new technologies to educate and inform people about key issues that matter to them, whether cultural, political, or economic.
Matinyi said the media industry is undergoing unavoidable transformation due to the impact of technology on professional journalism, even as he cautioned against the use of digital media by individuals keen on promoting their own selfish interests.
