By Correspondent

THE TANZANIA Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has outlined the role of communications service providers in facilitating the General elections on 29 October this year, with emphasis on the role of radio and television content providers.

Articles in the latest edition of the TCRA’s Corporate Magazine – the Regulator – show how telecommunications companies enable parties to communicate and transact effectively and to send and receive documents through their physical addresses and postcodes.

TCRA describes radio and television content service providers – traditional and online, as public educators and facilitators of transparency by reporting facts without bias. Their content on candidates, parties and policies enables the electorate to choose suitable candidates.

One of the articles explains that broadcasters should discharge their traditional duty of educating, informing and entertaining from a specific context: a politically charged environment.

Broadcasting service providers derive their obligations during elections from six media principles that are key in promoting democracy. They are inherent in the classic media roles of informing, educating and entertaining.

The media serve as information sources, public educators, and observers of the electoral process. Elections test the media’s integrity in its mission.

Reportage by an effective media that watches from above and scrutinises the political players makes the process transparent.  Professionally-presented content enables the electorate to know the candidates and party policies, and to make informed decisions.

This watchdog role enables registered voters to engage with candidates or stand before the ballot box on polling day with informed choices.

TCRA emphasizes that content must be sourced and processed, guided by ethics, professionalism and adherence to legal and regulatory requirements. The latter includes the regulations, rules and guidelines.

Broadcasters should protect the public interest, safeguard peace and security and make the election process transparent.

TCRA collaborates with other stakeholders to educate radio and television content providers on the basics of election broadcasting. The theme is responsible coverage of the election process – from the nomination of candidates, campaigns, voting, announcement of the results and post-poll events.

Service providers are required to apply the provisions of the Political Parties Elections Code and other laws and regulations.

The purpose of this is to ensure equitable and balanced broadcasting of political parties' messages during elections, promote professionalism and broadcasting ethics and enhance transparency.

The Code, which is reviewed in every General Election cycle, covers the presentation of news and programmes, political debates, opinion polls, broadcasting on polling day and political advertisements.

Others are campaign coverage, the duty of online media service providers and the complaints handling mechanism.