Thursday, May 7, 2009

Ugandan journalists to receive governmental funding

The President of Uganda have said that he "believes in and supports freedom of the media, but that the freedom comes with the responsibility to tell the truth" as he is prepared to fund journalism, according to Daily Monitor.

Speaking to journalists at a dinner organised by the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) to mark The World Press Freedom day, mr Museveni said that he “totally supports” media freedom and independence, but accused journalists of "not always getting it right" and not reporting on critical issues of development.

"To guarantee and safeguard that future, reporting should concentrate on issues such as a common market for Africa, political integration, infrastructure development and social transformation", mr Museveni said according to Daily Monitor.

- Play along, in other words. And it would seem that the majority does:

According to the article, UJA chairman Joshua Kyalimpa identified the “exodus” of trained journalists to more lucrative sectors and the invasion of "quacks" who bring the profession into disrepute, commercialisation of journalism at the expense of content and programming, as well as laws that stifle media freedom as the biggest challenges Ugandan media is facing.

More importantly, "mr Kyalimpa reminded the President of a Shs100 million pledge to the association, which Mr Museveni increased to Shs150million – at Mr Kyalimpa’s urging – and promised to honour soon", still according to the article in Daily Monitor.

This opened debate over the issue of the media’s financial independence and whether the association should ask for money from the government. The Monitor Publications’ Managing Editor, Mr Daniel Kalinaki, opposed the handout.

President Museveni defended the offer and said he was only honouring a request from the journalists. He added that it was "sacrilegious in African culture to reject an offer" and that "if journalists reject money from the government then they must also reject funding from any foreign groups or governments".

Miss Rosebell Kagumire, a Ugandan journalist, comments on the meeting in her blog:

"How on earth can a media that wants handouts from the president at the same time expect to be treated fairly. How embarrassing can the Ugandan journalists in this organisation be? I have never been part of this association and most Journalist friends and I mean respectable journalists have never been involved in it. I don't understand who is behind this association and what the heck they need all that money for.

This is the problem of media in Africa that they become mouth pieces of government and NGO and anybody who can pay their poor -both ethically and financially-reporter. So what do they call that money from the president- a gift or bribe? If you happen to be a journalist that picks this money on 'our' behalf I wonder if you will ever have the audacity to put a tough question to the president when need arises. I now believe more than ever that the biggest threat to media freedom is not the state but the media itself on many occassions in this country."

- Very encouraging words from miss Kagumire this. With this sort of sentiment, I can see Ugandan media face a brighter and more independent future.

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