Union of Tanzania Press Clubs 2023 -2025 Kärnstöd Union of Tanzania Press Clubs 2023 -2025 Core support The Union of Tanzania Press Clubs (UTPC) is a non-profit umbrella organization registered in 1997 dedicated to uplift journalists in the country by offering training, capacity building opportunities, and coordinating a network of local level support organizations known as Press Clubs. 

Support to UTPC started since 2002 on project basis until 2009 - 2011 when the first large project support was funded and followed by strategy core support 2011 -2013. A higher ambition was set in 2016 to 2020 strategy; Was a second time strategy support by Embassy of Sweden that profiled UTPC to another level. At this time UTPC concentrated on activities that would build recognition, accelerate performance, itegrity and network; Journalists were trained on thematic and professional skills; Local networks with like-minded organizations were built, UTPC staff capacities and systems were strengthened, journalists stories of change were produced and ties between government and UTPC started to gain a momentum despite 2015 -2020 regime challenges.

The third UTPC strategy is from 2023 -2025 after extending the 2016-2020 agreement with Embassy of Sweden for a period of two years. The strategy comes with a vision to consolidate interventions and expand working methods by building from the good work achieved in the previous strategies. Embassy of Sweden will support the third strategy with 'core support' and will be its final one after almost 20 years of partnership.

These are UTPC strategy objectives for 2023 - 2025. Firstly, ensuring that Journalists operate with the highest standards of professionalism. The main activity areas to be undertaken concern capacity strengthening of journalists for their professional development. The capacity element will go together with reportage compliance training, monitoring of ethics by ethics ccommittee in press clubs.

Secondly, UTPC will continue to push the agenda that will eventually guarantee for freedom of media and freedom of speech. During this period UTPC will advocate for creation of enabling environment that enable journalists to speak truth to power and to advocate for reforms in the media legal systems. Core to the success of this strategic objective will be engaging the government and working in partnership with other likeminded organization such as Tanzania Human Right Defenders Coalition, Jamii Forums, Legal and Human Rights Center, Coalition on the Right to Information (CoRI) and many more as they will be determined.

Thirdly, UTPC will continue to ensure that Press Clubs operate efficiently, effectively and independently by strengthening the governance systems and capacities necessary to be self-sustaining and hence being able to foster regional and national development by reporting stories of public interest and holding those in power accountable for the benefit of the nation. UTPC believes that the future of existing press clubs will be determined by the strength of the systems installed. This objective will also put more emphasis on thematic specialization. Currently Tanzanian journalist are generalists, as a result quality and in-depth coverage of issues is compromised. Focus is key to developing in-depth expertise in every discipline.  Specialized training for key thematic areas and subject specific reporting will be conducted centrally through UTPC and through partnerships with organizations such as BBC Media Action, Jamii Forums, THRDC, CiC (Children in Crossfire), and IMS (International Media Services). Major focus and attention will be in promoting investigative journalism or accountability journalism.

Fourthly is ensuring that Journalists safety, security and wellbeing is protected and respected. The 2022 marks the 10th anniversary since the endorsement of the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists. Union of Tanzania Press Clubs (UTPC) är en ideell paraplyorganisation registrerad 1997 som stödjer journalister i landet genom att erbjuda utbildning, kapacitetsutveckling och samordning av ett nätverk av stödorganisationer på lokal nivå som kallas pressklubbar. Stöd till UTPC har pågått sedan 2002 på projektbasis fram till 2009 – 2011, då det första stora projektstödet finansierades och följdes av kärnstöd 2011-2013. En högre ambition sattes i strategin 2016 till 2020 som blev ett andra strategistöd av Sveriges ambassad. UTPCs arbete fokuserade på aktiviteter som skulle höja organisationens profil och kompetens. Journalister utbildades i tematiska och professionella färdigheter, lokala nätverk med likasinnade organisationer byggdes, UTPC-personalens kapacitet och system stärktes, journalisters berättelser om förändringar spreds och banden mellan regeringen och UTPC började förbättras trots utmaningarna inom området under åren 2015-2020.

Den tredje UTPC-strategin från 2023 -2025 kommer med en vision om att konsolidera insatserna och utöka arbetssätten genom att stärka de goda resultat som uppnåtts i de tidigare strategierna. Sveriges ambassad kommer att stödja den tredje strategin med kärnstöd och kommer att vara den sista stödperioden.

Följande är UTPC-strategimål för 2023 – 2025:

För det första att säkerställa att journalister arbetar med högsta standard och professionalism. De huvudsakliga verksamhetsområdena som ska genomföras rör kapacitetsförstärkning av journalister för deras professionella utveckling, såsom utbildning i efterlevnad av reportage, övervakning av etik av etikkommittén i pressklubbar. För det andra kommer UTPC att fortsätta driva en agenda för att garantera mediefrihet och yttrandefrihet. Under denna period kommer UTPC att förespråka att skapa en miljö som gör det möjligt för journalister att använda sin yttrandefrihet och att förespråka reformer i mediernas rättssystem. Kärnan för detta strategiska mål kommer att vara att engagera regeringen och arbeta i partnerskap med andra likasinnade organisationer som Tanzania Human Right Defenders Coalition, Jamii Forums, Legal and Human Rights Center, Coalition on the Right to Information (CoRI), IMS och fler.

Vidare är att se till att journalisters säkerhet, säkerhet och välbefinnande skyddas och respekteras. 2022 markerar 10-årsjubileet sedan godkännandet av FN:s handlingsplan för journalisters säkerhet. Som ett bidrag till FN:s handlingsplan kommer UTPC att genomföra journalisters säkerhets- och säkerhetskapacitetsuppbyggnad, tillhandahålla juridisk stödfond, engagera mediaförespråkare i Tanzania om statusen för en säkerhets- och säkerhetsmekanism för journalister, granska och utveckla en mer effektiv säkerhets- och säkerhetsmekanism. Denna process kommer att ske genom konsultativa möten, vilket förhoppningsvis kommer att resultera i en mer strukturerad och praktisk säkerhetsplattform som kan skalas upp brett i Tanzania i framtiden.

För det femte kommer UTPC att reflektera över sina egna system för att granska dem och uppgradera sina strukturer och personal för att stödja sitt uppdrag. Med lärdom av tidigare strategiska UTPC-planer är detta strategiska mål helt fokuserat på kapaciteten inom UTPC att effektivt leverera på planerade insatser. Som en medlemsorganisation som är ekonomiskt kopplad till pressklubbarna är det angeläget att säkerställa att system för ansvarsskyldighet och insyn finns på plats. Byggandet av dessa system kommer till övervägande del att utföras av UTPC och konsulter. Som ett viktigt fokusområde har teamet identifierat behovet av en robust databas och digitala verktyg för att effektivt hantera nätverket och förbättra utbytet av kommunikation, kunskap och finansieringshantering. UTPC-kapacitetsbedömningen under 2018 identifierade flera problemområden för utveckling av pressklubbar. These are UTPC strategy objectives for 2023 - 2025. Firstly, ensuring that Journalists operate with the highest standards of professionalism. The main activity areas to be undertaken concern capacity strengthening of journalists for their professional development. The capacity element will go together with reportage compliance training, monitoring of ethics by ethics ccommittee in press clubs.

Secondly, UTPC will continue to push the agenda that will eventually guarantee for freedom of media and freedom of speech. During this period UTPC will advocate for creation of enabling environment that enable journalists to speak truth to power and to advocate for reforms in the media legal systems. Core to the success of this strategic objective will be engaging the government and working in partnership with other likeminded organization such as Tanzania Human Right Defenders Coalition, Jamii Forums, Legal and Human Rights Center, Coalition on the Right to Information (CoRI) and many more as they will be determined.

Thirdly, UTPC will continue to ensure that Press Clubs operate efficiently, effectively and independently by strengthening the governance systems and capacities necessary to be self-sustaining and hence being able to foster regional and national development by reporting stories of public interest and holding those in power accountable for the benefit of the nation. UTPC believes that the future of existing press clubs will be determined by the strength of the systems installed. This objective will also put more emphasis on thematic specialization. Currently Tanzanian journalist are generalists, as a result quality and in-depth coverage of issues is compromised. Focus is key to developing in-depth expertise in every discipline.  Specialized training for key thematic areas and subject specific reporting will be conducted centrally through UTPC and through partnerships with organizations such as BBC Media Action, Jamii Forums, THRDC, CiC (Children in Crossfire), and IMS (International Media Services). Major focus and attention will be in promoting investigative journalism or accountability journalism.

Fourthly is ensuring that Journalists safety, security and wellbeing is protected and respected. The 2022 marks the 10th anniversary since the endorsement of the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists. As a contribution to UN plan of action, UTPC will conduct journalists safety and security capacity building, provide legal support fund, engage media advocates in Tanzania on the status of a safety and security mechanism for journalists, review and develop a more efficient safety and security mechanism including the recent established platform between government and UTPC with the support from IMS Tanzania. This process will be done through consultative meetings, which hopefully will result in a more structured and practical safety and security platform that can be scaled up widely in Tanzania in future.

Fifthly, UTPC will reflect on its own systems to review them and upgrade its structures and staff to support its mission. Learning from previous UTPC strategic plans, this strategic objective is focused entirely on the capacity within UTPC to deliver on planned interventions effectively and efficiently. As a member organization which is financially linked to the press clubs, the primary concern is to ensure that accountability and transparency systems are in place. Building these systems will predominantly be undertaken by UTPC and consultants. As a key area of focus, the team have identified the need for a robust database and digital tools to effectively manage the network and improve exchange of communications, knowledge, and funding management. UTPC capacity assessment in 2018, had identified several areas of concerns for press club development including ones above.