Uganda: Why govt wants to keep journalists under control [interview]

Last week, Nation Media Group (NMG) celebrated its 50th anniversary. To celebrate the long walk, NMG organised the first Pan- Africa Media Conference themed ‘Media and the Africa promise; reflecting on the past, present and prospects for the future’. Information Minister, Kabakumba Masiko attended the event and spoke to Isaac Imaka on the sidelines of the conference. Excerpts:-

 

What is your take on the conference?

The Nation Media Group is marking 50 years of existence. The way I looked at the topics, it emphasized freedom of the press and good governance. But how do we bring in voices of various people, especially in terms of governance but also to ensure press freedom. The consensus to me is that there must be media freedom and there is a role media can play in development. But there must be press responsibility.

 

We should not forget the past history where media played a role in some countries to bring down governments. People should not report for the sake of making money while inciting people, distorting information.

 

Do we need the Press and Journalists (amendment) Bill?
For any law to be proposed there must be a mischief that has to be cured. It has been realised that after we liberalised the press, we have not had a responsible media and now we are looking at how we can regulate the media.

 

We are talking of a media which will not incite people in its reporting. For instance, in the burning of Kasubi tombs, the media rushed into conclusions instead of asking what happened. They were quoting a boda boda rider who was not even at the scene.

 

Which loopholes are in the 1995 law?
We are now providing for all newspapers to register and be licensed, they should tell us their physical addresses which was not in the 1995 law. We are also providing for offences and their sanctions.

 

But journalists have been charged before?
There are some papers that are promoting sectarianism, stories that hamper national interest in terms of security and economic development.

 

It has taken the government over 15 years to realise these loopholes and choose to bring the amendments now?
This law has not just come. I even found the principles in place by the time I came to office.

 

I believe journalists have forgotten that they were consulted on whatever is in the law. Now it turns out that by the time we table it, it will be time for elections and people think we are targeting the elections.

 

Who specifically did you consult in the media?
All of them right before writing the Bill; the media owners, practitioners, and all stakeholders. The bad thing is that now most of them are new players in the field, and the old ones have forgotten.

 

Explain what exactly is meant by inciting the public?
Mobilising and working on people’s psyche to cause civil disobedience. If you are going to mobilise people to fight each other, instead of reporting issues in public interest, definitely that’s incitement.

 

What is this public interest?
Here we mean social cohesion, where people live peacefully without unrest. If you are going to incite people, and think you are doing so in public interest, then you are missing the point.

 

Who determines public interest?
Us as Ugandans; you can determine it through the people’s representatives or government through its structures. At the end of the day it must be public interest.

 

The Bill talks about economic sabotage. Elaborate…
It is as broad as that. Anything to do with hindering [the progress of] our economy we shall not tolerate. Like the Bujagali [power] project we would by now be having the dam and wouldn’t be having load shading but the journalists reported recklessly until they delayed it.

 

Between corrupt government officials and journalists who report about them, who would you think is the greater economic saboteur in Uganda?
Corruption, corruption and corruption! We are going to work together. It cannot be fought by government only.

 

But if you say there are faeces in Uganda’s milk, are you fighting corruption or sabotaging the economy?
I want us to shift the debate. How can we deliver services to our people? Let’s empower our people to demand for services, to hold government accountable. Sensitise them, empower them. If we do that, there will be no corruption; there will be no dictatorship. The problem is that people are equating good governance to fighting corruption. That’s not true.

 

How will you determine economic sabotage?
The law will. We shall put it in the regulations. We shall also give the judge some leeway to determine it. We are also going to agree on how to define economic sabotage.

 

Isn’t the same government which liberalised the economy the one now targeting investors by making it difficult to start and run a newspaper business in Uganda by restricting foreign ownership?
We want serious investors in this sector. We do not want any Tom, Dick and Harry to come and start producing a paper. We want to know the equipment you have, where you are located. We want to be sure of the investor.

 

Who is a serious investor?
Someone who will put money in his business but also take time and caution and ensure that he or she protects his investment. If you have not invested anything, you can be as careless as you can imagine.
In developed countries governments bail out independent media houses in financial distress.
We have not had that problem and I cannot tell you that there is a plan. They [Uganda media] have not complained and [I think] they are doing well. There are private investors who have been bailed out before so even the media will be considered on a case by case basis.

 

You want to put over 90 per cent government-appointed members on the Media Council. How independent shall it be?
Whether it’s 100 or zero percent, it’s all government. You know as [former Mozambican] President Joaquim Chissano has said, journalists were given the freedom but could not come up with ideas. We hoped that the media could be able to control themselves but they have failed even with the several media associations. Instead of utilising the National Institute of Journalists of Uganda, they are fighting it.

 

Who do you think is a professional journalist?
That’s what I have asked them and have failed to get an answer. Is it someone who learns on the job, or the one who has a degree? I am sure most of those top people in the media are not qualified. They were given a grace period after the law was enacted in 1995.

 

Journalists are bitter about this proposed law. What do you want them to remember about you?
As someone who was for clean journalism; factual and timely reporting without distortion. Emotions and opinions [should be] removed from the factual stories. If I can help reorganise, professionalise and uplift the standard of journalism in Uganda, I would have done my work.

 

- March 27 by Isaac Imaka

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Source: www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/887388/-/item/0/-/14242vrz/-/index.html (accessed on 29.03.10)