SECTOR 4 4.3 Salary levels and general working conditions, including safety, for journalists and other media practitioners are adequate. Salary levels vary from one media establishment to the next, but in general, radio journalists get paid the lowest. At UBC, entry level media practitioners start out at about 700,000 Ugandan shillings (USD208), senior reporters earn around 1.2 million shillings (USD356), and management are paid depending on how they were hired and how they negotiate their salaries and perks. At New Vision, entry level journalists also start at 700,000 Ugandan shillings (USD208), with mid-level staff earning around 1.7 million (USD504). At most radio stations “salaries depend on negotiation, the level of seniority, experience, and so forth.” At Unity Radio, which is considered one of the best paying radio stations in its region in the north of Uganda, reporters earn between 350,000 (USD104) and 500,000 shillings (USD149), deputy editors earn in the vicinity of 850,000 (USD252), and senior editors earn around 1.2 million shillings (USD356). In addition to using mostly freelancers, radio stations also buy much of their news content from news agencies. However, these salaries are “deceptive because most reporters are freelancers, who, on average, probably get USD100 per month. Some get more…maybe up to USD 300.” The use of freelancers versus full time reporters is estimated at 50/50 at UBC and New Vision. The low salaries of freelancers may affect the editorial standards and integrity because “if you’re paying a freelancer 6,000 shillings (USD1.80) for a story, or 30,000 shillings (USD8.90) for a feature, the story may be more valuable to them unwritten and unexplored depending on how they are paid. If the person who the story is on offers to pay them 3 million shillings (USD 893) to not write the story, or to change the angle, this affects the professional standard.” In some cases, freelancers have been known to double up as both a reporter and a salesperson. This is not unique to freelancers though. In some media houses – particularly radio – media professionals can go for months without being paid. “Many journalists are not paid well, and that is why they insist on facilitation fees when they come to cover our stories.” “People, and even NGOs, consistently corrupt journalists, and because of this, we don’t get the stories that we really want.” There have been attempts to implement a national minimum wage, but this has been controversial; the amounts proposed are, “inadequate”, and the proposal 66 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER UGANDA 2016