Watchdog or Missionary?

This study addresses journalism's task to support development of a Third World country's society. In Tanzania the government and as yet single political party allowed appear to be cautiously surrendering their monopolistic control of the media and the question what kind of journalism the country needs is being raised increasingly. Tanzanian journalists are more and more outspokenly claiming the right to be watchdogs on the public's behalf. How they process information to present to the predominantly rural public depends decisively on how they perceive their professional role. That self-perception is influenced by social and organisational factors. Just what these factors are and to what degree they allow 'development journalism' to unfold in Tanzania was the central research approach of this study.