ABSTRACT
Since 2015, Tanzania has seen a drastic change in media freedoms, with numerous acts enacted to limit media space further. Such changes seemingly seek to protect the state organs leaving no space for alternative political thoughts. As a result, mainstream media have covered conventional content, while opposition politicians struggle to get their messages through to the wider public. To curb that gap, social media platforms have stepped in as the sole option for opposition politicians to get in touch with the public. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and online TVs have replaced traditional media in Tanzania, helping opposition politicians to access the public with relative ease. This article examines the role of social media and choices Tanzanian opposition politicians made during the 2020 general elections amid the increasingly shrinking media space. The special coverage is made on the 2020 political campaigns, assessing opposition politicians’ choices in tight media space. The study uses an online observation to examine social media activities among Politicians and political parties and a review of policies regarding media freedom. Findings indicate a major shift in media use as opposition politicians prefer social media to the more limited traditional media outlets.
