Things appear to have improved slightly and there is now better advocacy on
media issues. There have been representations to parliament and demonstrations to
highlight media freedom issues on World Press Freedom Day, the Foundation for
Human Rights Initiative compiled a document titled “State of Media Freedom in
Uganda”, and the Human Rights Network for Journalists released a report on the
number of journalists beaten up in the course of their work. After the September
2009 riots, a range of groups came together to issue a statement condemning the
government’s clampdown on the broadcast media.
In August 2009, 13 media organisations and institutions, among them the
Uganda Journalists Association (UJA), Uganda Media Development Foundation
(UMDF), Uganda Radio Network, and Makerere University’s Department of
Mass Communication, formed the Article 29 Coalition (named after the article
in the constitution which guarantees freedom of expression), a loose coalition
of media groups seeking to speak with one voice. Its number one project is to
challenge the media legal framework which does not guarantee freedom of
expression, including the proposed amendments to the Press and Journalist Act
2000.

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: 			

28

AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER UGANDA 2010

2.5

(2007: 2.4)

Select target paragraph3