Mwananchi Communications

Experienced Managing Editor with a demonstrated history of working in the media production industry. Skilled in Corporate Communications, Storytelling, Editing, Journalism, and Media Relations. Strong business development professional with a BSc focused in Agriculture General from Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), an MBA from Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute (ESAMI) and an Executive Master in Media Leadership and Innovation from Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media & Communication in Kenya, Bakari S. Machumu (BSM) is a media management (and strategy) expert with 25 years experience in the profession. From a humble beginning, as a Trainee Reporter at Business Time – then Tanzania’s top financial and economic weekly – to Executive Editor of MCL where he oversaw the production of Tanzania’s three top newspapers, Mwananchi; MwanaSpoti Tanzania & MwanaSpoti Kenya and The Citizen, steering MCL to a home of the digital revolution – becoming the first ever converged (digital) newsroom in Tanzania’s history.
Between 1998 and 2004, BSM worked with Business Times as Trainee Reporter, Reporter, Senior Reporter, and Features Editor before becoming the first News Editor of Daily Times, a sister paper to Business Times under Business Times Limited (BTL).

Convergence and transformation
Having used the experience of a countrywide 2015 election coverage, he capitalized on the countrywide network developed through the usage of social media tools to establish a Digital Kwanza network linking all MCL journalists across the country. It was from this network MCL established the first 24/7 news cycle for print media in the country in June 2016. Come March 2017, he oversaw MCL newsroom convergence, introducing MCL journalists to a a-360-degrees journalism for the first time in Tanzania.
He is currently working towards perfecting operations to match a really digital newsroom aimed at making the firm a viable “Print & Digital Content Company”.