Faces you don't see in the media

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  Media and Entertainment on Mon, Oct 06th, 2025 by The Citizen

Faces You Don’t See in the Media: Why Diversity Matters in Tanzanian Journalism

In a recent op‑ed for The Citizen, author Dr. Khalid M. Mshale – a long‑time media researcher and former editor at the Daily News – argues that the visual and narrative palette of Tanzanian media is conspicuously limited. The piece, titled “Faces you don’t see in the media,” uses a combination of anecdotal observation, statistics from regional media studies, and international benchmarks to make a compelling case: the people who do not occupy the front pages and televised newsrooms are not just invisible, they are systematically excluded from the national conversation.

A Snapshot of the Current Landscape

Mshale opens with a familiar scene: the morning news broadcast, where the anchor’s polished smile, the polished political candidate’s handshake, and the glossy fashion spreads dominate the screen. He counters this with a visual that many readers have never encountered – a photo of a wheelchair‑bound schoolteacher speaking to a group of children in Moshi. “That image has never, and will never, make the front page of The Citizen or the feed of Nairobi Live,” he writes. The point is that the mainstream media’s selection of who gets airtime or who gets photographed is not random; it follows an unspoken hierarchy that privileges certain “faces” over others.

Drawing on data from the 2023 Media Representation Study conducted by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Mshale notes that only 3.5 % of on‑screen personalities in Tanzanian news broadcasts are people with disabilities, 1.8 % are women in senior production roles, and a meagre 0.7 % are older adults over 60. These numbers are stark when compared with global averages – the World Press Freedom Index suggests that 10 % of on‑screen talent worldwide should be from marginalized groups.

Why the Gap Persists

Mshale offers a four‑pronged analysis of the systemic causes behind this underrepresentation:

1. Ownership Concentration – “The media industry in Tanzania is still largely owned by a handful of political families and wealthy conglomerates,” he explains. “Their interests shape the stories that get told, and who gets told by.” He cites a 2022 report from the Tanzanian Journalists Association (TJA) that found 70 % of major media houses are owned by a single family or business group, creating a “tight loop” of editorial priorities.

2. Economic Pressures – Advertising budgets dictate content. “Brands pay for aspirational imagery,” Mshale observes. “That means they prefer familiar faces that resonate with the middle‑class consumer.” He points to an interview with a leading ad agency executive who confirmed that “the face of luxury” is usually a young, urban, and typically male model.

3. Educational Gaps – The lack of training programs that foster inclusive storytelling is another bottleneck. “Our journalism schools still have a negligible number of courses on disability representation or gerontological media,” Mshale notes. He references a call to action from the University of Dar es Salaam’s School of Journalism, which launched a pilot course on “Inclusive Media” in 2021 but has yet to expand it.

4. Cultural Biases – Finally, the author addresses the subtle yet powerful “look‑what‑we‑see” bias that permeates editorial decision‑making. “When editors pick a story, they often unconsciously gravitate towards people who look like themselves or the audiences they think they serve,” Mshale writes. He cites a 2019 study by the International Federation of Journalists that found editors were 25 % more likely to approve footage featuring “conventional” subjects.

Voices That Matter

Mshale interlaces his critique with vivid, real‑world stories that illustrate the human cost of invisibility. He recounts the experience of a 70‑year‑old widow, Mary N., from Kigoma, who was denied coverage after her community’s petition for a new health clinic was ignored. “When the local government finally built the clinic, there was no one in the photo‑journalist’s notebook to say, ‘This was a vital step for people like Mary,’” he writes. He also mentions a young woman with a hearing impairment in Arusha who, after speaking out against discrimination in public schools, never appeared on TV or radio, but her story was captured by a local NGO’s documentary that gained international attention.

A Roadmap for Change

The op‑ed concludes with a set of actionable recommendations aimed at policymakers, media owners, and civil society groups:

• Policy Reform – Enforce a 15 % quota for on‑screen representation of marginalized groups, similar to the affirmative action guidelines in several Latin American countries. This could be legislated through the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA).

• Industry Incentives – Create a media diversity fund that provides grants to production houses that feature at least one person from a marginalized group in every story they produce.

• Training & Capacity Building – Expand the “Inclusive Media” curriculum at universities and partner with international organizations such as UNESCO to host workshops on accessible journalism.

• Public Awareness Campaigns – Launch a nationwide “Faces of Tanzania” campaign that celebrates diverse stories and encourages audiences to demand representation.

Mshale ends on a hopeful note, reminding readers that the media is not a fixed entity but a collective craft that can be reshaped. “When we ask the right questions about who we see in the news, we force our society to look again at the faces it has been overlooking,” he writes. “And it is only when those faces step onto the screen that the national narrative becomes truly inclusive.”

A Call to Readers

For anyone who has ever felt excluded by the mainstream media narrative, The Citizen’s op‑ed is a timely reminder that representation matters. By highlighting the faces that have been systematically left out, the article invites both industry insiders and ordinary citizens to participate in a broader dialogue about diversity, equity, and truth in Tanzanian journalism.