The government is seeking a new law that will require all journalists to obtain official certificates and be registered to work.
The State Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Mr Godfrey Kabyanga, said the proposed press and journalism law will make it compulsory for all journalists to register with a regulatory body before they can be allowed to practice.
He explained that the goal of the proposed law is to bring order to the media industry and remove unqualified people who call themselves journalists without proper training.
Right now, the law already says journalists should register with the Media Council, but very few have done so. Mr Kabyanga warned that the new law will make it a must to have a license to work as a journalist in Uganda. ‘The government wants to replace the current media law. This new law will set up a regulatory body to oversee and guide journalism,’ he said.
Speaking to media owners, journalists, security officials, and members of the Uganda Communications Commission at Bomah Hotel in Gulu City on September 26, Mr Kabyanga said journalism, like other professions such as medicine and engineering, needs to be regulated.
He compared it to a recent move to create a body that oversees human resource officers. ‘Right now, anyone can wake up and say they’re a journalist. That needs to change,’ he added.
Despite Uganda having 280 radio stations and 31 TV stations, fewer than 500 journalists are officially accredited. The Nwoya Resident District Commissioner, Mr Christopher Omara, also raised concerns, saying many media houses are hiring people without the right qualifications.
He accused some of these unqualified reporters, especially at private radio stations, of spreading false or misleading information.
‘Many of these so-called journalists don’t understand the issues they report on. That’s why the quality of journalism is so poor. Media houses need to hire skilled and competent people if they want to improve,’ Mr Omara said.