HRNJ wants Parliament to intervene on Journalists welfare

HUMAN RIGHTS MEDIA

 

 

Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights yesterday, Human Rights Network for Journalists (HRNJ) executive director Robert Ssempala noted that journalists are poorly enumerated and some are never paid as well as lack any employment documents.

 

 "This has a grave negative effect on their ability to work professionally.  If only parliament could take keen interest in the way the media houses treat these journalists, then it would be one way of boosting professionalism in the industry," he said.

 

On the impunity for crimes against journalists, Ssempala said many cases of abuse against journalists have gone unpunished as a result of poor investigations.

 

"It's our appeal to Parliament to play a central role in calling upon the police and DPP's office to ensure speedy investigations and prosecution of such cases. A lot of harassment of journalists has been at the hands of security organs," he said.

 

Ssempala was appearing before the committee together with broadcasters to explain why journalists are poorly enumerated.

 

The Committee chairperson Florence Egunyu noted that as a result of poor pay, journalists were being forced to engage in unethical and unprofessional conducts such as blackmail, stories for pay, writing wrong stories and many others.

 

"The way journalists are paid infringes on their economic rights. Could you explain why you (broadcasters) would earn over a million and pay a journalist sh1000 for a story? Is that really fair? You fight for the human rights of other people yet you are not concerned about the economic rights of your employees," Egunyu asked.   

 

The Broadcasters were led by the Association Vice Chairperson Peter Ssematimba who is also a MP for Busiro County South.

 

Ssematimba said although the association is committed to observing the rights of all journalists, the industry operates on competition and payment is based on revenue generation.

 

"Journalists are in categories. Not all journalists are paid poorly. Media houses that generate good revenues pay their journalists well.  Just like any other business, payment is based on how much one generates for the station. The more one generates, the higher the pay.  Our responsibility is about revenue generation. They are programmes that generated more than others so that journalist will be paid more," he said.