Tabu Butagira
30 October 2008
Kampala — The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) has picked Monitor Publications as a "Centre of Excellence" in Uganda to pioneer a continental project for improving reportage of development issues.
The US-based global media network, founded and run by women, says under the partnership, some selected journalists of Daily Monitor will be trained by out-sourced agricultural and development experts on how best to cover farming activities.
Even when agriculture is the mainstay of Ugandans, both the electronic and print media in the country appear inclined to ignore highlighting issues affecting the sector dominated by rural folks. IWMF, in a statement sent on Monday, said the new project is to, "increase and sustain accurate, consistent and more vigorous news media reporting on agriculture, rural development and women (issues)."
Mr Tom Mshindi, the Monitor Publications managing director, said the year-long project would buoy the participation of indigenous women in active journalism, empower and help them build a worthy future career.
He said, "To be recognised by the IWMF is an important indication that Daily Monitor has a correct approach to the development of female journalists, and that the paper focuses on issues of importance to the community."
The Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) radio, a public broadcaster, is the other only media house in country, selected alongside four media organisations in Zambia and Mali, to pilot the "Enhancing Reporting on Agriculture, Rural Development and Women in Africa" project.
Ms Gifti Nadi, the IWMF's senior programme officer for Africa said the selection of participating media organisations was benchmarked against their coverage, geographical reach, respectability, and potential commitment, among other considerations.
Frayintermedia, a South African media consultancy, will administer the programme crafted to involve in-house training of journalists and editors on comprehensive coverage of development matters.
Ugandan media, said Mr Mshindi, should abandon their obsession with covering politics and instead highlight such issues as declining agricultural productivity, environmental protection, science and technology - that affect the common citizen.
"I find journalist's pre-occupation with politics in Uganda and East African media market to be misplaced because at the end of the day, life is not only about politics but eking a living," he said.
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