Uganda Media Review 2011: Media and Corruption

A review of media and corruption in Uganda by the Uganda Media Development Foundation.

The Promise of Participatory Media in Africa

The report explores the changing ways in which citizens are chipping away the power of authoritarian regimes in Africa through online participatory media. The report focuses on Tunisia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Uganda.

Media Codes of Ethics: The Difficulty of Defining Standards

The report examines the different types of media codes of ethics and offers recommendations for making them more robust and useful in efforts to raise standards of journalism.

Statistical terms used in research studies; a primer for journalists

The latest journalist’s resource release from the Shorenstein Center at Harvard University includes “Statistical terms used in research studies; a primer for journalists”

It is an important resource for journalists interested in having a better understanding of public policy research and other studies based on scientific methods.

Click on title to see the primer

OIL DEBATE VERBATIM

Oil Debate Verbatim October 10 2011

Oil Debate Verbatim Tuesday, 11 October 2011

Resolution of Parliament in Respect of Regularization of the Oil Sector

On October 11, the Uganda Parliament passed a number or resolutions in a bid to regularize the Oil Sector. This was after two days of heated debates in the house over various aspects concerning the oil industry especially oil contracts and transactions signed between Uganda and oil companies.

News on the Go: How Mobile Devices Are Changing the World’s Information Ecosystem

Mobile devices now reach the farthest corners of the world. By the end of 2011, about 5 billion mobile phones will be in service in a world with 7 billion people. The implications–for politics, for education, for economies, for civil society, and for news and information–are profound. News on the Go: How Mobile Devices Are Changing the World's Information Ecosystem examines how a global information society might look with mobile media devices at its hub.

Global Report on the Status of Women in the News Media

The IWMF believes that there can be no full freedom of the press until women have an equal voice in the news-gathering and news dissemination processes.

There is abundant evidence of underrepresentation of women as subjects of coverage, but until now there were no reliable, comprehensive data on which to make a clear determination about where women currently fit into the news-making operation or in the decision-making or ownership structure of their companies.

The IWMF Global Report on the Status of Women in the News Media seeks to fill this gap by presenting for the first time sound data on gender positions in news organizations around the world.

Hidden Heat: Communicating climate change in Uganda: Challenges and Opportunities

This report identifies some of the challenges and opportunities of communicating climate change in Uganda. The findings follow directly from the information provided by the participants in the Hidden Heat research project, and represent a wide range of climate change communication stakeholders – from civil society organisations, the media and government representatives. This report aims to amplify these voices – to summarise the expertise that exists in Uganda on climate change communication, and to disseminate this as widely as possible.

The Ujima Project

Having trouble finding information on foreign aid, developmental contracts, weapon sales and lobbying in developing countries like Uganda and Africa in general? The Ujima project helps you to find this information using sources in various government and international organizations in Europe and the United States.

The Ujima Project, a collection of databases, documents and other resources, aims to bring transparency to the workings of governments, multinational non-governmental organizations and business enterprises in developing countries.

The project is an endeavor of The Center for Public Integrity, an internationally renowned non-profit organization dedicated to producing original, responsible investigative journalism on issues of public concern.

How Licensing of Journalists Threatens Independent News Media

Worldwide, licensing continues to thrive as one way (among many) used by governments to control the press. The by Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA), is an examination of regulatory practices in more than 100 developed and developing countries.

"As most of the world now acknowledges, freedom of expression—including freedom of the press—is crucial to democracy and good governance. Only if news media maintain their independence can they play a watchdog role in society. Any government policy that restricts that independence—including licensing—must be examined closely," the report notes. Click on link above to read more.

Guidelines For Media Coverage Of Elections In Uganda

These guidelines lay out the responsibilities of the media and other important players such as political parties, candidates, and the Electoral Commission in the coverage of the 2011 elections in Uganda. They have been developed through a participatory process led by the African Centre for Media Excellence. They are a voluntary code of ethics to govern the conduct of media in the coverage of the 2011 elections.

Handbook of Independent Journalism

This handbook covers the ins and outs of what every professional journalist should know — from how to research, write, and edit a story to how to write headlines, choose graphics, and select quotes and sound bites. Print, radio, TV, and Web-based or online journalism forms are discussed in detail, as well as the skills required in beat reporting.

Bribery of Journalists Around the World

A report by the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA), which tackles bribery of journalists. The report examines the key issues surrounding corruption of journalists—including its effect on the credibility of news media—and also explores the factors that create media environments where journalists are willing to accept cash for news coverage.

Uganda Freedom of the Press Report 2010

A 2010 Freedom of the Press country report for Uganda compiled by Freedom House, an independent watchdog organization that supports the expansion of freedom around the world.

Judgement on Law on Sedition

The August 25, 2010 unanimous judgment by five judges declaring Uganda's Law on Sedition as unconstitutional.

Proposed Amendment to Uganda’s Press and Journalist Act - Jan 29 2010

Uganda’s proposed Press and Journalist (Amendment) Bill 2010 will erode press freedom further, according to journalists and human rights groups. The government says the proposed law is about regulation of the media, which are still in their infancy, but critics argue it is all about control.

Press and Journalist Act Chapter_105

The Press and Journalist Act, which the Ugandan government now seeks to amend, was introduced to “ensure the freedom of the press” and to provide for the regulation of the mass media. But critics argue that the thrust of the law is to regulate the journalist as a professional along the models of other professions such as engineering, law and medicine. This, they add, goes against constitutional guarantees of free expression.

Consultative Forum Statement

Ugandan media leaders, journalists, civil society, representatives of the government, and the diplomatic corps met on April 30 to discuss the proposed Press and Journalist (Amendment) Bill 2010. The Consultative Forum expressed strong concerns about several provisions in the Bill, which are “objectionable and in a free and democratic society”.

Speech by Justice George Kanyeihamba on the Proposed Amendments to Ugandan Media Law

Prof. George W. Kanyeihamba, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Uganda, told a well-attended consultative meeting on media laws that the proposed amendment to the Press and Journalist Act are draconian and amount to a reversal of Uganda’s achievements.

Article 29 Statement on Press and Journalist Amendment Bill

Article 29, a coalition of Ugandan media associations, training institutions and human rights organisations, has said the proposed amendments to the country’s media laws amount to “excessive and authoritarian statutory control of media freedom”.

CPJ Letter to Speaker of Ugandan Parliament

The Committee to Protect Journalists has urged the Ugandan Parliament to reject the proposed amendment to the Press and Journalist Act, which would “severely hamper the operations of newspapers and damage the country’s press freedom credentials”.

A Media Mine Field: Increased Threats to Freedom of Expression in Uganda

A recent report by Human Rights Watch documents multiple cases in which government officials and supporters of the ruling party are threatening and intimidating journalists in an effort to curb criticism of the government.

Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Uganda

Africa Media Barometer

The African Media Barometer is an in-depth and comprehensive description and measurement system for national media environments on the African continent. It is released every two years after a panel of experts, consisting of five media practitioners and five representatives from civil society, meet to assess the media situation in their own country. Click here to view reports for different countries