Ugandan media leaders endorse formation of editors’ forum

Senior editors and other industry players in Uganda have supported the formation of an association of content managers and editors in the country.

The move is aimed at strengthening professionalism and promoting self-regulation, according to a statement released on Friday, 8 February.

The group has already elected an interim executive committee, which includes Mr Daniel Kalinaki, the General Manager, Editorial at Nation Media Group Uganda, Mr David Mukholi, the Managing Editor (Editorial) of Vision Group, Ms. Joyce Bagala, the Head of News at NBS TV, Mr Alex Atuhaire, the Editorial Director of the online PML Daily, Ms Sylvia Nankya, an editor at the Uganda Radio Network, and Mr Pius Katunzi Muteekani of The Observer.

“We must check our own conduct and enforce our own ethics in order to make a credible case for self-regulation,” said Mr Kalinaki, the interim chairperson of the executive committee. “Our job is to build a framework that defends media freedoms while ensuring responsibility and professional conduct.”

“This is an important step in self-organisation and professionalisation in the media industry,” said Dr Peter Mwesige, executive director of the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME), and national facilitator for the International Training Programme (ITP) on Media Self Regulation in a Democratic Framework.

The idea to form the forum of editors and content managers came from the Ugandan team of participants to ITP. They are Ms. Barbara Kaija, Editor-in-Chief of Vision Group, Hon. Paul Amoru Omiat (Dokolo North), who is also chairperson of the Uganda Parliamentary Form on Media, Mr. Adolf Mbaine, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Journalism & Communication at Makerere University. Others are Ms. Rose Mary Kemigisha, Senior Human Rights Officer/Editor at the Uganda Human Rights Commission, Mr. Abudu-Sallam Waiswa, Head of Legal at Uganda Communications Commission, and Mr. Peter Okello Jabweli, a lawyer and member of the Media Council of Uganda.

The ITP is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

You can read the full statement here.