Policy neglect: A silent killer of media and business success

By Bakari S. Machumu

I’m still recovering from professional shock I experienced in Arusha last week.

I always assess situations before and after training. If that’s not possible, I at least gauge the level of awareness and understanding against actual application.

So, there I was on Thursday, February 27, conducting a training session for 22 online journalists from various media outlets based in Dar es Salaam and Arusha.

As part of the session, I conducted a quick assessment on social media policy awareness, understanding and usage among participants from nine organisations. The results? Eye-opening.

Out of the 19 participants present at the time of the quiz, only six said their organisation had a social media policy, representing just 31 per cent.

Among the nine media outlets represented, six confirmed having a policy, translating into 66.6 per cent.

But here is where the real shock came: Who among the 31 per cent had actually read their organisation’s social media policy? NONE. ZERO. ZILCH.

That made my final question – on usage and compliance – completely redundant.

If they had not read it, that meant they were not using it.

This is just a symptom of a far bigger problem in digital journalism. While my sample size may be small, it points to a larger, systemic issue that deserves serious attention.

The root cause? Leadership.

Having a vision is one thing. Communicating that vision to the entire organisation is another. But most importantly, instilling values that shape an organisation’s culture is what ultimately drives mission success.

There are no shortcuts. It requires a clear strategy that defines the structure, which, in turn, informs the systems – systems that set the dos and don’ts in everything an organisation does.

And that is where policies come in. Having written policies is just the first step. Creating awareness among all staff is the second.

But what is the real game-changer? Enforcing and evaluating policy execution to see whether you’re winning – or failing – so you can adjust accordingly. Without this, businesses will struggle to succeed, let alone survive.

I commend the Institute of Accountancy Arusha (IAA) for organising last week’s training as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, giving back to the journalism community by empowering them with knowledge to enhance their work and service to their audiences.

This is a rare yet crucial approach to CSR – especially in an election year, where online platforms will be flooded with content at high speed, but with questionable accuracy.

And with AI-driven content reshaping the digital landscape, the urgency to equip journalists with the right skills cannot be overstated.

Here is the hard truth: Some of the biggest names in Tanzania’s digital journalism space – I won’t name them, but trust me, they are major players – have teams operating without clear guidance on policies governing their day-to-day work.

We must act. I hope this article sparks an urgent conversation among media stakeholders – regulators, owners, executives, editors and journalists – and prompt them to undertake crash programmes meant to address this critical gap.

As Prof Eliamani Sedoyeka, Rector of IAA, rightly pointed out in his opening remarks: “New media thrives on speed and timeliness, unlike traditional media, which has rigorous quality control processes. But speed must not come at the cost of credibility.”

To achieve that balance, we must invest in digital journalism training, personal branding for journalists and policy awareness and compliance. Why? Because in the digital world, audiences tend to trust personalities more than institutions.

Now, imagine an entire institution where staff have no idea what policies guide their daily operations. Without clear, enforced and implemented policies, businesses risk chaos, inefficiency and failure.

It’s time to treat policies as the backbone of sustainable growth—not an afterthought.

Bakari S. Machumu is the Founder and CEO of BSM Washauri (TZ) Ltd., a knowledge-based business firm specialising in Business and Leadership Advisory, Strategy and Media and Communications Solutions