SECTOR 4 The media practise high levels of professional standards. 4.1 The standard of reporting follows the basic principles of accuracy and fairness. The standard of reporting depends largely on the media house being referred to, with some media houses following the basic principles of accuracy and fairness, and others, allegedly, ignoring these principles altogether. In print media, New Vision and Monitor appear to have the strongest reputation in terms of accurate and balanced coverage, although one is perceived as being pro-state and the other as pro-opposition; and they have different reporting styles. “New Vision gives hard news, and is perishable. Monitor provides deep analysis and lasts longer.” On television, UBC and NTV come out tops for their reporting standards, although “television is more entertainment focused, but their news programmes are 50/50 when it comes to accuracy and fairness.” “With radio, it is difficult to tell because there are so many and they are spread out geographically.” “As a consumer, my sense is that when I listen to radio and to TV, there are definitely quantitative improvements in reporting and fairness, but there are issues with the level of analysis. People are there at the scene, and so on, but the reporting is so shallow. Accuracy has improved, but quality is weak; like people are punching above their weight.” Several media houses make use of freelance writers, and some panellists suggested that this might impact the quality of reporting, “Many media houses rely on freelancers, and it is difficult to control standards in this regard, because you’re addicted to content that you don’t own or audit.” “A lot of editors don’t have the time to check the 5Ws (Who, What, Where, When, Why) and H (How). Because of the pace of reporting and the fierceness of competition, they can’t maintain those standards.” The declining standard of reporting has also been attributed to the lack of work ethic, particularly amongst younger journalists. “I’m bothered by seeing a generation that doesn’t want to be bothered. Back in the day, even a notebook was admissible in court. But now, basic note-taking, which enhances accuracy, is lacking.” 62 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER UGANDA 2016