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: 1.5 (2007: 1.3) 1.7 Confidential sources of information protected by law and/or the courts. are Analysis: The Press and Journalist Act 2000, in its Section 39, states that “a journalist shall not be compelled to disclose the source of information except with the consent of the person who gave him the information or on an order of a court of law”. Section 2 of a “Professional Code of Ethics” in the First Schedule of the same Act says that “no journalist shall disclose the source of his information and shall only divulge them in the event of an overriding consideration of public interest and within the framework of the law of Uganda”. Although the civilian courts are yet to compel a journalist to disclose his or her confidential source of information, they do have that power and can use it any time, thus opening defendants up to contempt of court charges. Section 44 of the Access to Information Act 2005 protects “whistleblowers” by guaranteeing that persons who release information “on wrongdoing” – which is defined as the “commission of a criminal offence, failure to comply with a legal obligation, a miscarriage of justice, corruption or dishonesty, or maladministration regarding a public body” – should not be subject to any sanction. The Regulation of Interception of Communications Bill 2007 will, however, when it becomes law, make it nearly impossible for journalists to protect their confidential sources when they communicate through phones, letters or via e-mail. Even now the impending law is already making especially government officials sound very guarded while talking on the telephone with journalists. 24 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER UGANDA 2010