UNESCO has published two policy briefs that offer insights into COVID-19-related disinformation. It notes that COVID-19 has led to a parallel pandemic of disinformation that directly impacts lives and livelihoods around the world. Falsehoods and misinformation have proven deadly and sowed confusion about life-saving personal and policy choices. The first policy paper, Disinfodemic: Deciphering COVID-19 […]
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The next 10 years will be pivotal for press freedom, the 2020 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) indicates. In its analysis of the situation for journalists in 180 countries and territories, RSF lists five converging crises that will be decisive for the future of journalism. They are: a geopolitical crisis […]
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News release 21 April 2020 Kampala African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) is gravely concerned by reports doing the rounds on social media and other platforms about the arrest and detention of NBS Television anchor and programme host Samson Kasumba. Mr Kasumba’s colleagues and other journalists have quoted the police as saying he is being […]
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Kampala, 21 April 2020 The Uganda Editors’ Guild has noted with concern reports of the arrest of Samson Kasumba, a news anchor at NBS Television. We are also aware of comments by the police spokesperson that Mr Kasumba is being held in connection with allegations unrelated to his work as a journalist. The Uganda Editors’ […]
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Stephan Lewandowsky, University of Bristol and John Cook, George Mason University The number of coronavirus infections and deaths continues to rise at an alarming rate, reminding us that this crisis is far from over. In response, the global scientific community has thrown itself at the problem and research is unfolding at an unprecedented rate. The […]
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Kevin M. Lerner, Marist College On April 4, a Los Angeles Times story about the varying effects of the novel coronavirus contained a remarkable paragraph: “One thing to keep in mind before we continue: It is possible that the information you read below will be contradicted in the coming weeks or that gaps in knowledge […]
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Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) Press statement 13 April, 2020 The Steering Committee of FAJ, which met through a teleconference on 10 April 2020, expressed grave concerns about the safety and wellbeing of overworked and under-resourced African journalists who as frontline workers, have been carrying out an essential service by providing their citizens with credible […]
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In the end the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance was allocated Shs6 billion in the COVID-19 supplementary budget approved by Parliament on 7 April. The Budget Committee recommended that the balance (of Shs8.7 billion) should be “transferred to the Health sector”. The ICT ministry had put together a clumsily justified budget of Shs14.72 billion, […]
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