Dimitri Manginis: 5 Step Critical Analysis

    This is a critical analysis of Flor Pierina Rincon’s post of the BBC new article, Coronavirus in Tanzania: The country that’s rejecting the vaccine. I do agree with Flor’s claims that this article is accurate and should be considered a source of reliable information because of the use of multiple viewpoints from opposing parties. By doing this, BBC is able to give their readers information without forcing their biased opinions onto them. 

Description: The article describes the stance of the Tanzanian government in the face of the Covid 19 pandemic and their continual denial of the fact that the virus has entered their borders. The BBC is able to do this by using multiple perspectives including those of concerned WHO officials, brazen members of the Tanzanian government, as well as worried citizens from the East African nation. The article does not only examine the effects Tanzanian’s decisions will have one the rest of Africa and the world, but also the immediate ones which are currently taking place within the country.

Analysis: After going through this reading once or twice, there is a clear pattern of the author describing the frankly quite reckless and negligent decisions made by the Tanzanian government in regards to Covid 19, and the concerned response of world experts and helpless citizens. Not only has the president of Tanzania, Mr. Magufuli, “mocked the efficacy of masks, doubted if testing works, and teased neighbouring countries which have imposed health measures to curb the virus” (BBC News, 2021), but in doing so, he has endangered countless lives. This trend continues with WHO experts and world leaders urging the nation to take precautions and stop the dissemination of fake news (Such as steaming helping protect against the virus) which the government itself is responsible for. While evidence of Covid 19 is clearly visible in the country, those who it affects, mainly the average citizen remain silent, afraid to anger their government. Due to this, the article lacks specific quotes from this specific group of people.

Interpretation: This BBC article seems to condemn the careless and negligent attitude of the Tanzanian government towards the coronavirus. By using evidence from experts in the field of medicine such as WHO members, the article highlights how uninformed at best, reckless at worst, officials in Tanzania really are. Pairing this with the story of “Peter” (BBC News, 2021), a Tanzanian who recently died from Covid 19 due to the government's continuous denial, the overall tone of the article is quite harsh and seems to blame the Tanzanian government for the country’s current situation.

Evaluation: While it certainly contains harsh overtones, this article is fair in its assessment of the current situation in Tanzania. While there may be some bias and anti-Tanzanian sentiment, this is towards the government officials, especially the president, not the country’s common citizens. Bias is mitigated by the multiple viewpoints this article utilizes, all of which seem to corroborate and agree that the current, almost non existent anti-Covid 19 measures in Tanzania are unacceptable and will only lead to grief and death.

Engagement: While this article's main purpose may be to r criticize the Tanzanian government and its careless Covid 19 measures, it may also serve as a warning to other countries who are facing a similar situation as well as affirming the stricter condiments and measures taken by other countries in the area or worldwide. I think it is important to understand the mistakes of other countries in order to be a good citizen of your own country and perhaps even the world.