SECTOR 4 4.4 Journalists and other media practitioners are organised in trade unions and/or professional associations, which effectively represent their interests. Although professional associations exist for media practitioners in Uganda, most of them are either defunct or ineffective. The Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) is inactive. The National Institute for Journalists in Uganda (NIJU), established by the Press and Journalists Act, is not functional and EAMI is now defunct. “The most effective body at the moment is a Facebook group run by ACME called ‘Ugandan Journalists’, which has about 600 group members. That’s the primary place to ask for help, for contacts, mobilise funds for injured journalists and to mobilise action on media issues.” Regional and district associations are much more active and effective than the national organisations. Examples include the West Nile media club, the Northern Uganda media club, LUJA, and others, which “are very strong and vibrant because if you want to do any training with journalists, you go through them. Even those in the development sector work with them. They plan social events. In cases where a journalist is sick or dies, they mobilise funds to help the bereaved family. And if there is an arrest, they swing into action to condemn it.” Some associations also exist based on the beat followed. Examples include associations for health journalists, parliamentary reporters, court reporters, and business reporters. However, none of the associations noted above deal with media labour issues, and no unions specifically for journalists exist at the moment. “There is no solidarity amongst media professionals, but this is not unique in Uganda, and results from the stiff competition amongst media houses. It is difficult to bring editors together for a single event, or to get media houses together around certain issues. For example, on the False News Law, the Monitor petitioned against this law, and a landmark ruling was made that concerns the media as a whole; but others didn’t show up.” One panellist noted that, “Uganda news-owners and editors have bi-monthly meetings to engage on rallying points that they meet on, such as monies owed to industry.” 68 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER UGANDA 2016