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Uganda: Cabinet Discusses State of Media
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New Vision (Kampala)
21 May 2008
Posted to the web 22 May 2008
Cyprian Musoke
Kampala
THE Government has set up a sub-committee to study proposals drafted by the Ministry of information on media management in the country.
"The sub-committee will study all aspects of media management, including the media laws, funding, man-power, training and qualifications," a source told The New Vision.
This was decided during a cabinet meeting at Statistics House in Kampala yesterday, which discussed a paper presented by information minister Kirunda Kivejinja.
The ministers were reportedly concerned about the appalling working conditions of journalists at many FM radio stations.
They referred to a recent report compiled by the East African Media Institute, titled: "FM Stations in Uganda; Quantity without quality."
The study noted that although Uganda has the highest number of private FM stations on the African continent, with over 105 licensed, very few offer quality information.
"The majority of stations have a music format with an inkling of news summaries and talk-shows," the authors, journalists Peter Kibazo and Haruna Kanaabi, established.
"In many cases, the newsroom is a one-person show that reports, edits and presents the news."
The researchers found that many stations broadcast news without scripts and that most lack proper procedures to ensure quality programming and production.
Most editors and journalists interviewed admitted that they did not have a professional code of conduct in their newsrooms.
"Some journalists admitted indulging in unethical behaviour like being paid by the news sources to run stories and running promotional stories as news stories," the report stated.
"Furthermore, journalists are made to moderate paid- up programmes, where guests come with their own questions."
In addition, the study noted that most stations lack functioning structures.
"At some radio stations, news editors double as station managers, producers, advertising agents and presenters."
The authors found out that most personnel at radio stations lacked basic broadcast skills and that the recruitment of staff was done mainly by the proprietors.
Political interference and poor pay were identified as other major constraints. The authors found that some journalists work for several months without pay. "This makes them susceptible to taking financial inducement from information sources."
One station manager in northern Uganda said his station pays reporters between sh500 and sh700 per story. Poor newsroom facilitation and lack of basic equipment, such as radio recorders, were additional factors affecting the quality, according to the study.
"In scenarios where the editor beeps a news source to call back for information, a reporter is paid by the news source, and a journalist doubles as the advertising agent, the station is left with none to uphold professional standards."
Sources said the report provided ammunition to those in cabinet who want closer control over the media.
Apart from ensuring quality control, Kivejinja recommended strengthening the Government Media Centre and the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), as well as more funding for his ministry.
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The sub-committee, which was set up yesterday, is headed by the Minister of Public Service, Henry Kajura, and is composed of Kivejinja, the Attorney General Kiddhu Makubuya, security minister Amama Mbabazi, ICT minister Ham Mulira and state minister for integrity Nsaba Buturo.
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