SECTOR 1 Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator. 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 4.4 (2007: n/a) 1.6 Entry into and practice of the journalistic profession is legally unrestricted. Analysis: Under the Press and Journalist Act 2000, journalists must have minimum qualifications to work. Section 16 (2) says that to practise, a journalist must have either a university degree in journalism or mass communication, or a university degree plus a qualification in journalism or mass communication and have practised journalism for at least one year. The same law demands registration of journalists. It compels journalists to register with the statutory Media Council to get a “practising certificate” which has to be renewed every year after journalists have been enrolled as members of the National Institute of Journalists of Uganda. Section 28 (3) states that “no person shall practise journalism unless he is in possession of a valid practising certificate”. The certificate may be suspended for up to six months if a journalist is ‘guilty’ of “professional misconduct”. This provision was initially a compromise between senior journalists and the government to avoid more draconian measures. But once the government started arresting journalists, media houses quietly stopped paying for their journalists to get certificates. There is a fine of 200 currency points (US$2,000) for failure to fulfil conditions. For the last 10 years or so, there has been no effort by the Media Council to require practising journalists to have certificates although the Council warned in 2008 that journalists needed to have the certificates. In court cases, however, the fact that an accused journalist does not have a “practising certificate” may count against him/her. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER UGANDA 2010 23