MEDIA RELATIONS TRAINING

The Media in Uganda/E.Africa

--Peter G. Mwesige

The Media in Uganda/East Africa

Liberalisation in the 1990s broke decades old government monopoly

Proliferation of FM stations [Are they news media?]

Newspaper circulation in Ug., Rwanda, Burundi remains limited.

But newspapers are influential agenda-setters for policy makers, CSOs & other media

The Media in East Africa/Uganda

Television viewers have grown significantly in recent years.

The growth of the mobile telephone as a news tool

Growing ICT/new media savvy middle class. High turnover in newsroom/occupational

mobility Poor/low institutional memory in newsrooms

The Media in Uganda/East Africa

Dearth of enterprise and investigation Commercialisation of the media Internal challenges [Poor pay, quality issues,

ethics] External challenges [Access to info, media

laws]

Interacting with the Media/Structures

Know the right contacts Who does what in the newsroom? Editor-in-Chief or Executive Editor or Managing

Editor; Editor; Features Editor; News Editor; Chief Sub-Editor; Design Editor; Photo Editor; Desk Editors e.g. Sports, Business, Foreign, etc; Training Editor; Internet Editor; Sub-Editors; Reporters; Photographers; Correspondents; Freelancers.

Newsroom Structures

Radio and Television in East Africa employ smaller numbers:

News Manager or News Editor Producer Talk Show Host Anchor/News Reader Reporters or Correspondents

Newspaper Organogram

Newspaper Organogram

Television Organogram

Radio Organogram