SECTOR 2 2.7 All media fairly reflect the voices of both women and men. Since the last AMB, there has been an improvement in the media’s coverage and portrayal of women. “I think there is a great improvement in the way women are represented, particularly women in leadership. That has a ripple effect in the way women are perceived as political actors. Women leaders are no longer trivialised.” Another panellist said: “From a civil society perspective, there has been some effort by the media to take a gender perspective. In both the main newspapers there are pullouts on women’s issues, although these lean more towards entertainment. There is not much analysis.” Similarly, radio talk shows have attempted to broadcast gender issues, although some panellists felt talk shows were still dominated by men. “I think the problem is with the women. One radio station has a phone line reserved for women callers. But you will listen throughout the show, and there are perhaps one or two women who call.” This was “a structural issue and not a problem just with the media”. Many women do not have the time or the money to participate in or to buy media. “We use our time and money for other priorities.” Media houses have taken concrete steps to improve the coverage of women and women’s issues. The Daily Monitor newspaper, for example, has a regular column ‘Full Woman’, while KFM radio has a weekly programme that invites a woman to discuss issues on gender and development. The television station NTV has a programme called ‘Men’, which looks at male issues from a male perspective, though once in a while, a woman is invited to attend the show and give a counter-perspective. Meanwhile, New Vision has a policy that reporters should actively look for female sources for their stories. “But women shy away. There is an attitude that women tend to hide. Then we end up with the same women commenting time and again.” AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER UGANDA 2012 37