Journalists should not be offered fees for coverage
Nov 14, 2010
LONG before last week’s arrest of journalists involved in extortion hit the headlines, the new Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA) top executive had met several times to discuss how best to confront the vice and other unethical conduct among our members.
By Mark Namanya
LONG before last week’s arrest of journalists involved in extortion hit the headlines, the new Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA) top executive had met several times to discuss how best to confront the vice and other unethical conduct among our members.
USPA’s pride is built on a 40-year history that has successfully fostered a spirit of professional brotherhood among sports journalists while equipping, informing and educating the public on the various sports disciplines through objective coverage. With such a rich heritage, we as the leadership have been confronted by the formidable challenge of a few members carrying out their duties unethically in the last couple of years.
Admittedly, as an association, it is not easy to track the professional conduct of each individual. What we have, however, are strict procedures for membership and disciplinary committees tasked to ensure that people conduct their work in a way that satisfies the code of ethics of journalism.
Three of the journalists implicated in extortion are our members, and we do not take this lightly. Our disciplinary committee has been tasked to investigate the issue and will, in due course, make its own findings public and recommend appropriate action.
Yet for the greater good of the association and journalism, this experience precipitates the urgency and decisiveness to handle related cases within the association. Isolated cases of blackmail, impersonation and bribery have served to undermine the association’s integrity.
We urge sports federations and corporate bodies to desist from the practice of offering inducements to our members.
They are duty bound to cover sports news and should, under no circumstances, demand or be offered a fee for any work. The onus is on the executive and the members to grow the association to meet the demands of a dynamic industry.
Our challenge is how to assist and accommodate new aspiring sports reporters without compromising the process of joining USPA and the ethical conduct we must uphold.
In the last four years, the association has placed emphasis on educating members on issues that include professionalism, personal finance, libel, slander, defamation and expert knowledge on sports. Because a good number have not gone through journalism school, we have tried to improve their skills using such trainings.
The leadership is committed to working towards achieving an association of members who are articulate, responsible and ethically sound.
USPA is affiliated to the International Sports Press Association, which has consistently appreciated our activities and vibrancy. It has over 120 journalists from over 50 media houses countrywide.
Holding onto that forte requires us not only to be the best we can be at our profession, but to also maintain a strict code of ethics.
USPA includes sports reporters, sub-editors, editors, producers, photojournalists and columnists.
Namanya is the President Uganda Sports Press Association
LONG before last week’s arrest of journalists involved in extortion hit the headlines, the new Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA) top executive had met several times to discuss how best to confront the vice and other unethical conduct among our members.
USPA’s pride is built on a 40-year history that has successfully fostered a spirit of professional brotherhood among sports journalists while equipping, informing and educating the public on the various sports disciplines through objective coverage. With such a rich heritage, we as the leadership have been confronted by the formidable challenge of a few members carrying out their duties unethically in the last couple of years.
Admittedly, as an association, it is not easy to track the professional conduct of each individual. What we have, however, are strict procedures for membership and disciplinary committees tasked to ensure that people conduct their work in a way that satisfies the code of ethics of journalism.
Three of the journalists implicated in extortion are our members, and we do not take this lightly. Our disciplinary committee has been tasked to investigate the issue and will, in due course, make its own findings public and recommend appropriate action.
Yet for the greater good of the association and journalism, this experience precipitates the urgency and decisiveness to handle related cases within the association. Isolated cases of blackmail, impersonation and bribery have served to undermine the association’s integrity.
We urge sports federations and corporate bodies to desist from the practice of offering inducements to our members.
They are duty bound to cover sports news and should, under no circumstances, demand or be offered a fee for any work. The onus is on the executive and the members to grow the association to meet the demands of a dynamic industry.
Our challenge is how to assist and accommodate new aspiring sports reporters without compromising the process of joining USPA and the ethical conduct we must uphold.
In the last four years, the association has placed emphasis on educating members on issues that include professionalism, personal finance, libel, slander, defamation and expert knowledge on sports. Because a good number have not gone through journalism school, we have tried to improve their skills using such trainings.
The leadership is committed to working towards achieving an association of members who are articulate, responsible and ethically sound.
USPA is affiliated to the International Sports Press Association, which has consistently appreciated our activities and vibrancy. It has over 120 journalists from over 50 media houses countrywide.
Holding onto that forte requires us not only to be the best we can be at our profession, but to also maintain a strict code of ethics.
USPA includes sports reporters, sub-editors, editors, producers, photojournalists and columnists.
Namanya is the President Uganda Sports Press Association