A professional media must report correctly
Dec 02, 2008
The institution of the press is sometimes called the fourth estate, the other three being the legislative, judicial and executive levels of government.
By Paddy Ankunda
The institution of the press is sometimes called the fourth estate, the other three being the legislative, judicial and executive levels of government.
The press is viewed this way because of its unofficial, yet important role in supervising the different levels of government and reporting to the public. According to Encarta, the free encyclopaedia, freedom of press is the immunity of the communications media from government control or censorship.
In fact, freedom of the press is regarded as a fundamental human right. I subscribe to the school of thought that without a free media, a free and democratic society to steer development would not be possible. However, am also aware that China and other East Asian countries developed without a free media.
If this definition is taken wholesomely, it should certainly be a norm that any state that befits the description of a “civilised state†should guard freedom of the press.
However, the reality of human society and history has shown that the state has always abhorred the press, for misreporting against it and misinforming the public of its agenda.
In Uganda, following a cabinet meeting on the May 3, 1990, the NRM government became one of the first African governments to liberalise the media.
As a consequence, a host of media houses mushroomed in the country. Today, the country boasts of over 190 FM radio stations, 15 TV stations, over 20 newspapers,magazines as well as dozens of internet service providers. This kind of liberalised media is something you will not find in many countries the world over.
The Government’s move on press freedom reflected the thinking of the fourth US President, James Madson, who said in 1822 that: “A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.â€
Granted, Uganda has undeniably seen the rise of a free and vibrant media over the years. To this end, the media owes the people timely and accurate reporting of the news that affects them.
However, reporting must be done professionally and in a manner that does not injure what is called “the public interestâ€. Security is one such an issue that can be called a matter of universal public interest.
Unfortunately, the Ugandan media law allows the press to report any news they want, against an individual or institution irrespective of whether it is false or not.
Publication of false news set out in section 50 of the Press and Journalist’s Act was declared by the Supreme Court of Uganda to be inconsistent with Article 29(1) of the Constitution.
This means that no charges can be preferred to any one in the media for publishing false statements, rumours or reports. The Supreme Court held in the case against Charles Onyango Obbo and Andrew Mwenda versus Attorney General (Supreme Court Constitutional appeal number 2/2002) that the right to freedom of expression extends to holding, receiving and imparting all types of information, opinions, and ideas. It is not confined to categories such as correct opinions, sound ideas, or truthful information.
Whether this judgement can lead to the development of professional journalism or not in the country is an issue that I will not delve into.
In the words of a famous American journalist Walter Lippmann: “The art of democracy requires the ‘manufacture of consent’ and thought control.†Lippman added: “In a state where the government can’t control the people by force, it had better control what they think.â€
Like Thomas Jefferson said in 1787: “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have government without newspapers, or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."
The writer is the Defence and UPDF spokesman
The institution of the press is sometimes called the fourth estate, the other three being the legislative, judicial and executive levels of government.
The press is viewed this way because of its unofficial, yet important role in supervising the different levels of government and reporting to the public. According to Encarta, the free encyclopaedia, freedom of press is the immunity of the communications media from government control or censorship.
In fact, freedom of the press is regarded as a fundamental human right. I subscribe to the school of thought that without a free media, a free and democratic society to steer development would not be possible. However, am also aware that China and other East Asian countries developed without a free media.
If this definition is taken wholesomely, it should certainly be a norm that any state that befits the description of a “civilised state†should guard freedom of the press.
However, the reality of human society and history has shown that the state has always abhorred the press, for misreporting against it and misinforming the public of its agenda.
In Uganda, following a cabinet meeting on the May 3, 1990, the NRM government became one of the first African governments to liberalise the media.
As a consequence, a host of media houses mushroomed in the country. Today, the country boasts of over 190 FM radio stations, 15 TV stations, over 20 newspapers,magazines as well as dozens of internet service providers. This kind of liberalised media is something you will not find in many countries the world over.
The Government’s move on press freedom reflected the thinking of the fourth US President, James Madson, who said in 1822 that: “A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.â€
Granted, Uganda has undeniably seen the rise of a free and vibrant media over the years. To this end, the media owes the people timely and accurate reporting of the news that affects them.
However, reporting must be done professionally and in a manner that does not injure what is called “the public interestâ€. Security is one such an issue that can be called a matter of universal public interest.
Unfortunately, the Ugandan media law allows the press to report any news they want, against an individual or institution irrespective of whether it is false or not.
Publication of false news set out in section 50 of the Press and Journalist’s Act was declared by the Supreme Court of Uganda to be inconsistent with Article 29(1) of the Constitution.
This means that no charges can be preferred to any one in the media for publishing false statements, rumours or reports. The Supreme Court held in the case against Charles Onyango Obbo and Andrew Mwenda versus Attorney General (Supreme Court Constitutional appeal number 2/2002) that the right to freedom of expression extends to holding, receiving and imparting all types of information, opinions, and ideas. It is not confined to categories such as correct opinions, sound ideas, or truthful information.
Whether this judgement can lead to the development of professional journalism or not in the country is an issue that I will not delve into.
In the words of a famous American journalist Walter Lippmann: “The art of democracy requires the ‘manufacture of consent’ and thought control.†Lippman added: “In a state where the government can’t control the people by force, it had better control what they think.â€
Like Thomas Jefferson said in 1787: “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have government without newspapers, or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."
The writer is the Defence and UPDF spokesman