Grace Natabaalo
Freedom of the Press 2012 findings released
Freedom House has released the findings of Freedom of the Press 2012, its annual press freedom survey.
David Kramer, president of Freedom House, and Karin Deutsch Karlekar, project director for the Freedom of the Press survey, highlighted key developments in global press freedom over the last year, including the ramifications of the Arab Spring. Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya all showed significant improvements in terms of press freedom.
Other countries, including Bahrain and Syria, cracked down on media in an attempt to quell Arab Spring protest movements. Despite harsh crackdowns in authoritarian states, global media freedom did not experience an overall decline for the first time in eight years. However, due to downgrades in previously “Free” countries, the percentage of the world's population living in countries with a free press has fallen to the lowest level in over a decade.
Uganda's case
Status: Partly Free
The Ugandan press freedom environment deteriorated in 2011 due to an increase in harassment, intimidation, and violence against journalists who were attempting to cover February elections and postelection protests, as well as other key political events, by police and members of the security forces. In addition, there was a rise in biased election coverage by state-controlled media prior to the February elections. Despite these obstacles, however, the Ugandan independent media remained vibrant.
The country’s constitution provides for freedom of expression and press freedom. However, several laws claw back on these guarantees, and the government continues to crack down on critical journalists and media houses using both subtle and blatant methods. Although the law on sedition, which had often been invoked to bring critical journalists to book, was declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court in August 2010, the government continued to use other provisions of the penal code, including those on criminal libel and treason, against journalists.
There had been fear that the proposed Press and Journalist Amendment Bill 2010 would enable government manipulation of licensing and registration of media houses and introduce new publication offenses, but the amendments had not been tabled before parliament by the end of 2011.
In April 2011, after a delay of nearly six years, the government finally gazetted the regulations to operationalize the 2005 Access to Information Act. Uganda is among a handful of African countries with a freedom of information law, but without the regulations in place, the act had existed only on paper. Even after the release of the regulations, however, many government departments still deny requests for information. Moreover, parliament has yet to enforce the law’s requirement that each ministry submit annual reports on the status of implementation.
Other laws related to national security and confidentiality continue to impede open access to information in practice. The 2000 Press and Journalist Act requires journalists to register with the government-affiliated National Institute of Journalists of Uganda (NIJU) and obtain a license from the Media Council, which has been criticized for lacking independence. Journalists must also meet certain standards, including the possession of a university degree, to be full members of NIJU. Although journalists are supposed to renew their licenses annually, this provision is frequently overlooked in practice. Minister of Information and National Guidance Mary Karooro Okurut warned in September 2011 that the government could be compelled to enforce the requirement that journalists to be licensed, citing growing unprofessionalism.
The regulatory structure is not always transparent, and grants broad discretionary powers to the regulator. The 2000 Electronic Media Act created the Uganda Broadcasting Council (UBC), which can grant or withhold licenses based on an opaque set of conditions, and confiscate transmission equipment without a hearing or other forms of due process. In March
2010, the Broadcasting Council was merged with the Uganda Communications Commission, which regulates the telecommunications sector. The regulator is susceptible to influence and manipulation by the executive. Authorities have continued to interfere in private radio broadcasting, temporarily shutting down some stations in recent years. There were reports that four radio stations that had been closed down by the regulator in September 2009 on accusations of promoting sectarianism and inciting violence continued to engage in self-censorship to avoid renewed conflict with the authorities.
In April 2011, the UBC issued a warning to television and radio stations against covering the postelection protests live. The regulator warned that it would take “appropriate action” against any media house that aired material deemed to promote a culture of violence, ethnic prejudice, and public insecurity. Council chairman Godfrey Mutabazi accused some broadcasters of “portraying the events in such a way as to compromise public security.” In a May 17 statement, Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni took issue with the media for their continued coverage of antigovernment protests, calling them “enemies of Uganda’s recovery.” Despite some donor-supported efforts, such as the formation of the Independent Media Council of Uganda, self-regulation by the media sector is lacking, providing the government with a rationale for imposing statutory controls.
Journalists face harassment, occasional violence, and various other obstacles while attempting to cover the news. In the run-up to the February presidential and parliamentary elections and the demonstrations that followed in April, many journalists were intimidated, arrested, beaten up, shot at, and openly assaulted by the police, the army, and other security operatives, and in some cases by the public. Photojournalist Julius Odeke was shot by soldiers in February while covering an election-related disturbance in eastern Uganda. He was taking pictures of the military roughing up an opposition candidate, Nandala Mafabi, who is now the leader of the opposition in parliament.
Also in February, several journalists were roughed up—and some were seriously injured—by supporters of a political candidate during the Kampala local council elections. In the so-called walk-to-work protests that followed the elections, a number of journalists were beaten up and their equipment confiscated as they covered the news. In May, radio Simba journalist Christine Nabatanzi was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet as police tried to disperse protestors. At least 10 local and foreign journalists were attacked by security and military personnel while covering the return of opposition leader Kizza Besigye on May 12. Besigye had been hospitalized in Nairobi after he was injured seriously during a brutal arrest in April. Some journalists’ equipment, including cameras and notebooks, was confiscated by the military and police officers. In the countryside, government officials and security agents regularly intimidate journalists and attempt to influence media content by forbidding certain guests to appear on live radio programs.
During the election campaign that began in late 2010, coverage by the Ugandan Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), the public broadcaster, and the New Vision newspaper—in which the government owns a controlling state—was disproportionately focused on Museveni and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party. Also, opposition politicians were denied access to radio stations owned by members of the ruling party; several radio stations in Uganda are owned by NRM politicians who regularly discourage publication of news that is deemed critical of the government.
There are more than two dozen daily and weekly newspapers and more than 180 private radio stations. Uganda’s leading daily newspaper, the New Vision, shows some editorial independence, although it was decidedly progovernment during the elections and the postelection protests. Other print outlets, such as the Monitor, the Observer, and the Independent, are generally critical of the government and offer a range of opposition views. There is unrestricted access to foreign news sources, and domestic outlets draw on and reference these sources in their reporting. Radio remains the most widely accessed news source, although very few stations dedicate sufficient time to news and public affairs programming. In recent years, the number of community stations has grown across the country. The UBC remains subservient to the interests of the ruling party and the government.
Media owners are somewhat complicit in the erosion of press freedom in Uganda. To safeguard their investments, they reportedly comply with government requests, including onerous instructions as to which journalists they may employ. The sustainability of newspapers is compromised by declining circulation rates, which leave outlets more dependent on advertising. Threatened or actual advertising boycotts by corporations and the government, which are especially problematic for smaller media outlets, limit media diversity and pluralism.
Internet penetration remained at about 12 percent, or 4 million users, according to the Uganda Communications Commission. Access to the internet through both computer-based applications and internet-enabled mobile phone devices is not officially restricted. However, access is limited by high costs and a lack of infrastructure, especially in rural areas.
SOURCE: Freedom House
Prince murder witness vanishes
The New Vision, Page 8 brief
Wednesday May 9, 2012
What is right with this article?
Absolutely nothing. It seems to be there by accident and it is difficult to understand its purpose.
What is wrong with this article?
1. Headline. The headline talks of one murder witness. The first para of the story says that the police are searching for many witnesses.
2. Why? Why exactly are the police hunting for witnesses who testified against people who are already convicted and serving a sentence in jail? My understanding is that there is nothing more to testify about, unless they have found a new suspect or a reason to appeal the conviction.
3. George and John. The story mentions a George Katuramu in the first line and then a John Katuramu in the second sentence. Are these the same person? Are they brothers? Is George a new suspect in this very very old and already concluded case?
4. Do the police do resurrections? Asuman Mugenyi is quoted as saying that as soon as the witnesses are ‘got’ they will produce Kijjanangoma in court to plead to the charge of murder. The very first sentence says Kijjanangoma is dead!
I do not need 5 illustrations for this story. Its very presence is absurd and it cannot be corrected.
Just because they are news briefs does not mean they are not being read. Beware of putting any old rubbish in.
Uganda’s Movers and Shakers: Dr. Yusufu Mpairwe
The New Vision, Page 37
Thursday May 3, 2012
What is right with this article?
The idea behind these pieces on Uganda’s movers and shakers in the run-up to our 50th Independence anniversary is a noble and patriotic one.
The paper has maintained the regularity of these features and for the most part, the subjects have been interesting.
They have endeavoured, where possible, to get actual quotes from the people they profile.
What is wrong with this article (I will confine myself to 5 things)?
The flag: On page 1, the article is flagged as: ‘Mpairwe led to the discovery of the flu vaccine’. While I am sure he contributed to, he cannot possibly have ‘led to’.
The intro: The first line of the article reads: ‘Dr. Yusufu Mpairwe was fortunate enough to get both formal and informal education at home because both his parents were teachers, but that does not mean that life was a bed of roses for him as he scaled the academic ladder.’
It is too long. It might have read: Both of his parents were teachers, but that does not mean that scaling the academic ladder was easy for Dr. Yusufu Mpairwe. (And what does getting “both formal and informal education at home” mean?)
Word usage and implications: Also in the intro, we are told: ‘Like many a child from a low-income family, Dr. Mpairwe occasionally lacked school fees.’ Now, you have just told us that in 1938, when he was born, both his parents were employed as teachers. That may just put them out of the bounds of ‘low income’. That is disputable, of course, but then you also say he occasionally lacked school fees. The word ‘occasionally’ is synonymous with ‘rarely’. Using ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ would make his school fees situation worth worrying about.
The personal touch: Under the sub-head ‘The pride of Ankole’, the first line reads: ‘Dr. Mpairwe is remembered as the first person to get a medical degree in Ankole, an achievement that his parents threw a party for him, which was novel then.’
First, when you use the phrase ‘is remembered as’, you tend to be referring to a deceased person. Second, ‘an achievement that his parents threw a party for him’ does not make sense. And if you are going to repeat that idea by making his subsequent quote about the party his parents threw for him, then it is also redundant.
The crux: The flag and huge headline to this story are based on Dr. Mpairwe’s great contribution to the discovery of a flu vaccine. Why, then, is there only ONE vague and grammatically confusing sentence outlining this massive contribution? It reads thus: In 1969, he conducted a research that contributed to the development of the vaccine against haemophilus influenzae (type B), it is the basis of his research that a vaccine was developed to curb the flu. The good doctor was available to interview, and the Internet equally open to a few clicks to help clarify this matter.
The production of a newspaper is a team effort, and the subeditor and editors have let the writer down. The newspaper has subsequently let Ugandans down. I am not being dramatic; this is a special feature dedicated solely to national pride and achievement. It is not time-bound and it is regular. There is room to edit, perfect and get the details right. That is why newsrooms have special projects editors – so that special projects come out ‘special’. Why should I take pride in Uganda being 50 if the national newspaper will not take the time (or have enough pride in itself) to make this feature make sense?
On the death of Prof. Ssenteza Kajubi
Page 4 Daily Monitor,
Wednesday May 2, 2012
The news of the death of renowned academician Prof. Ssalongo William Ssenteza Kajubi yesterday spread like wild fire living many Ugandans in shock.
What is right with this intro?
1. The writer and/or sub editor attempted to say something other than ‘Prof. Ssenteza Kajubi is dead’. Journalists are encouraged to write catchy intros and the attempt is acknowledged and appreciated.
2. It tells you what the subsequent story is about.
What is wrong with this intro?
1. Academician. Why go with a longer seldom-used word when there is a simple one? Academic performs exactly the same function.
2. Spread like wildfire. This is an unnecessary assumption and adds nothing to the story. Not only is wildfire spelled wild fire, but the analogy is an exaggeration. I, for one, discovered the news by way of this very article. News of the death of any person of note will spread; in this internet/mobile phone era, is it really difficult to imagine that the news will spread fast?
3. Living. I hope this was not a tasteless pun given that the subject of the article is a death. A journalist (be it writer or subeditor) who gets published in the front pages of a national newspaper cannot afford to confuse living and leaving.
4. Many Ugandans. Many, most, majority, lots of.... I am sure there will be many people emotionally affected by the professor’s death and they are bound to be Ugandan. However, the number of Ugandans could be better qualified by introducing a subset. For instance ‘in academic circles’ or ‘in education’. Taken from the broader set of 34 million Ugandans, will many Ugandans really be shocked at his death? I don’t think so.
5. In shock. Every death is a shock and largely unexpected, some more so than others. However, at 86, a person has lived a long full life. Perhaps the ‘shock’ factor alludes to him dying without a long illness; however, this fact can be stated in other ways. Let us agree that death after 80 is neither untimely nor shocking.
The same intro could have read: News of the sudden death of renowned academic Prof. William Ssenteza Kajubi yesterday left many in shock.
Coverage of the same story on pages 2 and 24 of The New Vision and page 2 of the Observer can be referred to. It is also worth noting that the New Vision gives the Professor’s age as 85.
SOUTH AFRICA: Ruling on journo's sources a victory for media freedom
The Mail & Guardian has won a landmark case for media freedom after a judge ruled that journalists are not obliged to reveal their sources.
In his ruling against Bosasa in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Friday morning, Judge Moroa Tsoka established a legal precedent for journalists not revealing their sources.
The case pitted Bosasa against the M&G and investigative reporter Adriaan Basson for allegations of defamation by the former towards Bosasa. This ruling came as part of the pretrial, or interlocutory phase, where Bosasa was asking the newspaper to reveal its sources.
The case stems from an article written by Basson on May 22, 2009, which stated that Bosasa had won a number of multimillion-Rand tenders through corrupt practices with the department of correctional services. The M&G published a series of stories based on tender documents it had gained exclusive access to, before they were publicly advertised.
Bosasa decided to sue the M&G and Basson for defamation for the line: "the corrupt relationship between facilities management company Bosasa and the department of correctional services".As part of the discovery procedure - where both parties ask each other for information to build their cases - the company had asked M&G for any information it thought was pertinent to the case. This was done, but with sections blacked out to protect the identity of sources.
Bosasa objected to this and asked for full transcripts with the source's names revealed. In their heads of argument - where each side puts forward their case - they said confidential sources can be used to promote hidden agendas, disseminate propaganda or disguise lazy reporting.
Jeremy Gauntlett, acting for Bosasa, argued that the media could not ask for "press exceptionalism" and claim absolute privilege to protect the identity of its sources. "None of us have an absolute right to information nor do the respondents [M&G and Basson] have absolute right to immunity of disclosure of information they've chosen to rely upon," he said.
In his ruling on Friday morning, Tsoka found that, "the identity of the sources is in my view irrelevant." As such, Bosasa must deal with the correctness of the article that was published, not the identity of the sources, he said.
He lauded the revelation of information by sources as a "civic duty expected of every citizen in a democratic society". He also said that if freedom of the press is fundamental to democracy, "it is essential that in carrying out this public duty for the public good, the identity of their sources should not be revealed".
"This essential and critical role of the media, which is more pronounced in our nascent democracy, founded on openness, where corruption has become cancerous, needs to be fostered rather than denuded," he said.
Judge Tsoka dismissed the application with costs, including the cost of two counsel. Nic Dawes, M&G's editor in chief, said the victory is "important because it establishes a precedent" which to defend one of the basic aspects of journalism - the ability to protect sources.
"Without source protection there wouldn't be any good investigative journalism," he said. Basson said he was "delighted" at the judgment, which "confirms the obligation of investigative journalists to protect our sources".
World Press Freedom Day: Media freedom will help transform societies- UN
Joint Message by UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon and UNESCO Director-General Ms Irina Bokova on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day
Freedom of expression is one of our most precious rights. It underpins every other freedom and provides a foundation for human dignity. Free, pluralistic and independent media is essential for its exercise.
This is the message of World Press Freedom Day. Media freedom entails the freedom to hold opinions and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers, as stated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This freedom is essential for healthy and vibrant societies.
Change in the Arab world has shown the power of aspirations for rights when combined with new and old media. Newfound media freedom is promising to transform societies through greater transparency and accountability. It is opening new ways to communicate and to share information and knowledge. Powerful new voices are rising – especially from young people – where they were silent before.
This is why this year’s World Press Freedom Day is centred on the theme of New Voices: Media Freedom Helping to Transform Societies.
Media freedom also faces severe pressures across the world. Last year, UNESCO condemned the killing of 62 journalists who died as a result of their work. These journalists must not be forgotten and these crimes should not remain unpunished.
As media moves online, more online journalists, including bloggers, are being harassed, attacked, and killed for their work. They must receive the same protection as traditional media workers.
The first UN Inter-Agency Meeting on Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity met at UNESCO on the 13 and 14 September 2011. We produced a Plan of Action for the UN to build a more free and safe environment for journalists and media workers everywhere. At the same time, we will continue to strengthen the legal foundations for free, pluralistic and independent media, especially in countries undergoing transformation or rebuilding after conflict. At a time of information overload, we must help young people especially to develop critical skills and greater media literacy.
World Press Freedom Day is our opportunity to raise the flag in the fight to advance media freedom. We call on States, professional media and non-governmental organisations everywhere to join forces with the United Nations to promote online and offline freedom of expression in accordance with internationally accepted principles. This is a pillar of individual rights, a foundation for healthy societies and a force for social transformation.
Ban Ki-moon
Irina Bokova
Concept Paper: New Voices: Media Freedom Helping to Transform Societies
Simwogerere Kyazze - Research & Training Associate
Sim is a PhD candidate at the Rhodes School of Journalism & Media Studies in Grahamstown, South Africa. His research is in the general areas of community media, the public sphere and social capital.
Specifically, Sim is interested in alternative public spheres in enhancement of social capital in emerging democracies.
Sim studied at Makerere University and New York University, and has worked in various reporting and news management capacities at some Uganda’s most prestigious titles, including The Monitor.
In the 16 years since his first graduation in 1994, he has amassed experience as a journalists and lecturer, consultant and researcher.
Sim’s core strengths include creative problem solving, a writing flair, a strong resolve to get tasks done, interpersonal skills and extensive academic and professional research experience. He has strong editing and managerial skills and experience in international affairs. He often works independently, and in a team-structure.
Sim is committed to Public Affairs, and impact that that governance has on Uganda’s various publics.
Wairagala Wakabi - Research Associate
Mr Wakabi has worked as a reporter, editor, and researcher. He has also consulted for the World Bank Institute, Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), the Open Society Justice Initiative, Panos, the Uganda Communications Commission, and the UK ’s Department for International Development (DfID), among others.
Mr Wakabi’s areas of interest include Health (he has written extensively for The Lancet and CMAJ), Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) including the Web 2.0 technologies and how they impinge on media and society; and international criminal justice processes.
A holder of an MA in Journalism and Media Studies ( Rhodes University , South Africa ) and an MSc in Informatics ( Örebro University , Sweden ), Wakabi has reported from Angola , Burundi , the Central African Republic , Rwanda , Uganda , and in The Hague . He has also led research across 10 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa on ICT policy under the DFID-funded Catalysing Access to ICTS in Africa.
Angela Kintu Rwabose - Programme Associate/Media Literacy
Ms. Angela Kintu Rwabose is a writer, editor and regular columnist in several publications in Uganda. She has worked with the New Vision as a sub Editor and Vision Voice Radio as an Executive Producer.
Ms. Rwabose has mentored and trained reporters for both print and radio journalism.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from Makerere University and has had training in media and communication at the American Embassy, as well as in broadcast journalism with the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
Rachel Mugarura-Mutana - Programme Associate/Broadcast and Multimedia/Trainer
Ms. Rachel Mugarura-Mutana is a dedicated broadcasting and media development professional with a proven track record in media management, administration and planning, as well as training. She worked as the editor-in-chief of the country’s leading news agency, the Uganda Radio Network, from its inception in 2005 until 2011. A former television anchor and radio news manager, she has also worked at the press office of the American Embassy in Kampala.
