Patience Aber, a journalism learning facilitator with nearly eight years’ experience, recently led her first workshop on public accountability reporting. The event marked a milestone in her career and a step forward for regional journalism.
The three-day training in Gulu brought together early career journalists eager to report on governance, service delivery and corruption, but often unsure how to navigate complex government systems.
“Most of them have a lot of information but don’t know how to use it,” Aber said. “This training helped them understand how to write more accurately and objectively, especially when reporting on government systems.”
The workshop, organised by the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) in partnership with the Northern Uganda Media Club (NUMEC), marked the launch of a series of regional trainings designed to equip journalists with the knowledge and skills to report accurately on accountability and service delivery at the sub-national level.
Guest speakers, including Gulu City Planner, John Luwa, provided practical insights into the challenges that local governments experience in delivering public services. Luwa drew on a case study involving mismanaged funds in a public monument project, demonstrating how gaps in procurement and financial oversight can create opportunities for corruption. By breaking down complex government procedures into understandable steps, he highlighted the warning signs reporters should look for.
“The session on procurement processes and identifying red flags was the most useful to me,” said trainee Nancy Atim. “It gave me practical tools to detect corruption and mismanagement. Learning to recognise these signs means I can approach stories with more confidence and accuracy, rather than relying on hearsay or incomplete information.”
The Gulu training also provided an opportunity to showcase ACME’s emerging generation of facilitators. Patience Aber and Javier Omagor Silas, both graduates of ACME’s trainer development workshop held in Kampala earlier this year, led the sessions. Their participation is part of a deliberate shift in ACME’s approach to journalism education: moving from centralised, top-down training to cultivating a nationwide network of skilled facilitators. This model ensures that high-quality, contextually relevant training reaches journalists across Uganda, particularly in regions where access to professional development opportunities has traditionally been limited.
This effort is embedded within ACME’s Media Support for Public Accountability and Civic Engagement in Uganda (M-SPACE) project, a multi-donor initiative funded by the Danish, Dutch, Swedish and Irish governments through their embassies in Uganda. The project aims to strengthen citizen participation in governance by developing a resilient, inclusive and accountable media sector. By equipping journalists with the skills, confidence and ethical frameworks to investigate and report on public accountability, ACME contributes directly to a media ecosystem capable of informing citizens, shaping public debate, and holding authorities to account.
To consolidate the skills gained during the Gulu workshop, participants will now enter a three-month mentorship programme, receiving guidance to turn their training into published stories that expose mismanagement and promote transparency.
The next regional training is scheduled for Karamoja, a region where local government accountability reporting remains scarce.
“There’s a significant gap in public accountability reporting in our region,” said Innocent Aloyo of NUMEC. “Many journalists shy away from investigative work. We hope this training will equip them with the skills and confidence to report independently, without fear or favour.”
