CONSULTATIVE DIALOGUE: Paving the Way for a Vibrant, Ethical, and Globally Competitive Media Industry in Uganda

By Joellah Anshemeza

The Ministry of ICT and National Guidance engaged with key media actors, policymakers, and implementers on 25^th June 2024 through a pivotal Media Consultative Dialogue hosted at the National ICT Hub, Nakawa. The event was themed “Media that Works for Uganda in a Global Setting” bringing together key stakeholders from various Government Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), media professionals, academia, and civil society.

The dialogue focused on areas including the role of the media (does it reinforce and amplify or disrupt and distort its impact on development, media alignment with the advancements in technology alongside professionalism and ethical conduct, sharing experiences in this respect, developing an actionable collaboration matrix to track the following:

1. Media coverage in the setting of Uganda’s image and economic competitiveness
2. Media and communication policy initiatives in the digital transformation agenda for Uganda
3. The “Balancing act’” of the newsroom in an increasingly digital world of competitiveness and ethical and professional challenges
4. Developing collaborative building blocks to improve Uganda’s image with the media

In his opening remarks, the Commissioner of Communication and Dissemination at the Ministry of ICT, Mr. Moses Watasa highlighted how the Government of Uganda aspires to have a media that is vibrant, and free but also responsible as per Article 29 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda. In my view in line with this statement, this was a call for a media that not only enjoys the freedom to operate independently but also the media that acts with a sense of responsibility towards society, ensuring that its influence is positive and constructive.

A representative from the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives, Mr. Johnson Abitekaniza, recognised that the Media influences and controls people’s minds and has a role to play in trade development both locally and internationally.  Therefore, we all need to join hands with one another to see that we give a picture that will lead to the economic development of Uganda.

“How do we enhance our communication, reduce the expenses, and also increase productivity for this country? Whatever you put out there has an implication, thus we must be intentional about what we report” – Mr. Johnson added.

The dialogue featured a panel discussion moderated by Charles Mwanguhya of Next Media, with participants including Barbara Kaija from New Vision, Sarah Kagingo of Soft Power, Alex B. Ampaire from the Uganda Editors’ Guild, and Giles Muhame from Chimp Reports. The discussion centred on the theme “Media that Works for Uganda in a Global Setting.”

Some of the notable sessions included:

Who is responsible for Uganda’s Negative Image?

Panelists highlighted that every individual and everyone who has failed to deliver services is responsible for Uganda’s negative image on the global stage. For Uganda’s image to improve globally, it is every Ugandan’s role to promote Uganda.

“Digital Migration has put pressure on most media platforms but also presented an opportunity for professional legacy media to stand out, maybe to change the business model and be the media to go to in this chaotic environment” – Alex B Ampaire of Uganda Editors’ Guild highlighted.

Giles Muhame from Chimp Reports mentioned that legacy media won’t survive unless it adapts for example by integrating emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence. Therefore, legacy media should invest in data analysis to help people make sense of the data. He stressed that this is not only for legacy media but also the digital media, we need experts in artificial intelligence.

Sarah Kagingo on how to navigate where facts are at odds with the image you want to project, “It is a radical decision you need to make therefore; we need to double our efforts. Uganda is experiencing growth, Ugandans have woken up to industrialisation and strategic storytelling, and narrative crafting is key to helping position our country in the global market. It is in our interest each one of us to foster a positive image of our country.”

“Being patriotic does not mean hiding information but how do you tell the story, that is why we have editors. We tell negative stories if they are to protect the population,” Barbara Kaija, Chief Editor and Head of Content, New Vision submitted.

Various stakeholders stressed the importance of media independence and integrity. For media to effectively contribute to national development and remain relevant globally, it must be free from undue influence and operate with the highest standards of integrity.

The dialogue also identified several challenges facing the Ugandan media industry, including limited access to funding, restrictive regulations, the influence of digital platforms that often overshadow traditional media outlets, and failure by government MDAs to provide accurate and timely information to the media. To respond to these challenges, the Ministry of ICT pledged to train people who have been employed in the communication sector for effective operationalisation, engaging stakeholders on how to coordinate with the media, and adaptability on how to store the information, among others.

On his part, the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi mentioned that “the media landscape has expanded over the years and therefore regulation and coordination become extremely important because we are a country governed by the law. If we allow all media houses to function the way they want, we would end up with chaos.”

“As a ministry, we have been drafting a comprehensive Communication Policy and a National Guidance Policy as well as an overall Communications Act,” the Minister added.

The Media Consultative Dialogue concluded with a renewed commitment from all stakeholders to work together towards building a vibrant, ethical, and globally competitive media industry in Uganda by being accurate and factual. The Ministry of ICT and National Guidance reiterated its dedication to supporting media initiatives that align with national development goals.

The event underscored the importance of media as a crucial pillar in Uganda’s development journey and its potential to position the country as a leader in economy, trade, and tourism on the global stage.

As Uganda continues to navigate the complexities of a digital world, dialogues like this are essential in ensuring that the media remains a powerful force for positive change and progress.

Joellah Anshemeza is a Communication Officer at the Government Citizen Interaction Centre, State House