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: 4.3 (2012 = 3.3; 2010 = 2.9; 2007 = 3.3) 1.2 The right to freedom of expression is practised and citizens, including journalists, are asserting their rights without fear. Ugandan citizens practice their right to freedom of expression, but not without fear. Furthermore, the extent to which they express themselves often depends on the platform utilized and the topic at hand. “People are wary on political discussions, but when it comes to other issues, they are open.” On social media, people have been known to set up pseudo accounts to express their political opinions anonymously, in order to avoid victimisation. In addition to politics, another issue on which Ugandans “exclude a lot (of their thoughts) from the public domain are religion and tribe…issues around parochial and sectoral views, such as what tribe is eating what. People don’t want to express this.” “They don’t say what they really feel...because of the fear of conflict, as previous unrest has been along lines of ethnicity/tribe.” “There is a fear that Big Brother is constantly watching and citizens fear to account for their thoughts and actions.” “There are spaces to open up and to criticise, but there is a natural sense of fear that the intelligence is watching.” “There are more channels to express themselves, but there is still a cloud of fear.” AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER UGANDA 2016 13