Uganda
all spheres of social life, be they political or cultural. The news follow prevailing orthodoxies, with items lined up in accordance with
state hierarchies. The President and the Vice President enjoy the
biggest coverage. Whenever the President travels, a certain amount
of airtime is dedicated to him, with material produced by a special
Presidential and Vice Presidential Press Unit. Obviously, editors do
not distinguish between public interest and government interest.
In addition, UBC is constrained by the lack of funds from going out
and looking for stories in order to provide balanced and fair information. There is also a policy that whoever wants to be covered
by UBC-news has to pay for expenses (commercialised news). Talk
shows, on the other hand, do present diverse views on topical issues.
SCORES:
Individual scores:

4, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2

Average:

2.1

3.12

The public broadcaster offers as much diverse and creative
local content as economically achievable.

ANALYSIS:
UBC claims that 50% of its programming is local content, aiming to
educate, entertain and inform the public. There are indeed local
musicians’ shows, children’s programmes, and local magazines – but
no local drama - on TV. UBC cannot compete with the commercial
services because its salaries are too low and it lacks creativity and
reliability.

28

African Media Barometer - Uganda 2007

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