Uganda's Media Landscape

Tyan' Jiahuang Graduate student; Institute 'Higher School of Journalism and Mass Communications'; St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Universitetskaya nab., 7-9 st075572@student.spbu.ru Nikonov Sergey Borisovich ORCID: 0000-0002-8340-1541 Doctor of Politics Professor; Department of International Journalism; St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Universitetskaya str., 7/9, 707 NikonovS@mail.ru Other publications by this author     Gurushkin Pavel Yurievich ORCID: 0000-0001-6980-0573 PhD in Politics Associate Professor; Department of Mass Communications Management at St. Petersburg State University; St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Universitetskaya nab., 7-9 gurupavel@ya.ru

Melnik Galina Sergeevna Doctor of Politics Professor; Institute 'Higher School of Journalism and Mass Communications'; St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, St. Petersburg Vasilievsky Island, Universitetskaya nab., 7-9 melnik.gs@gmail.com

Introduction

In the context of the restructuring of the global order and the strengthening of geopolitical competition, the study of the media landscapes of African states is of great importance. Uganda, a landlocked country in eastern Africa, has formed a special political and economic landscape and media environment under the long rule of President Museveni. Uganda's media system has gone through a process of development from external control in the colonial era to localization after independence, and now has a pluralistic landscape encompassing radio, television, print and online media. In the process of globalization and the expansion of regional cooperation such as the East African Community and South-South cooperation, Ugandan media face increasing challenges and opportunities, and their coverage increasingly reflects Uganda's position and strategies in the global political and economic order.

The relevance of this work lies in the fact that, analyzing the historical development of the Ugandan media, their current state and connection with politics, it is possible to present a specific example for studying African media systems. Especially in the context of the high level of state control over the media and digital transformation, the study of the Ugandan media landscape contributes to a deeper understanding of the dilemmas of media freedom in the context of political power and the impact of information flows on socio-political changes.

The object of research in this work is the Ugandan media landscape, and the subject is the peculiarities of the development process and characteristics of Ugandan media.

The objectives of the study are to analyze the evolution of the Ugandan media landscape; to study how Ugandan media operate under political control; to clarify the roles and functions of public and private media; to focus on the impact of the growth of social media on the dissemination of political information and government strategies for controlling information on the web.

The novelty of the research lies in the combination of multidimensional perspectives of the historical, political and media environment of Uganda for a systematic analysis of the evolution of the Ugandan media landscape and its interaction with the political system. In addition, the study provides a unique perspective on the challenges faced by Ugandan media in the context of globalization, in particular the struggle between the growth of social media and government regulation, which offers new insights into the relationship between media and politics in other African countries.

Methodology and methods and research

This study uses a qualitative research approach combining documentary analysis, case studies and comparative analysis. First, to trace the historical background and evolution of media policy in Uganda. Secondly, select typical public and private media for case studies and examine their social functions under government control. Finally, to assess the current state of media freedom in Uganda in the digital age.

Scientific development of the topic

Many scientific papers have been devoted to the study of the Ugandan media landscape. Russian scientist Ongora Jerome Bonius^[1] focused on the formation and evolution of the Ugandan press in the 1980s and 1990s, and Chinese scientist Chen Lidan^[2] studied the historical development of Ugandan media. Domestic Ugandan scientists have also conducted extensive research on the political environment and news values of Uganda. For example, Asimwe Isaac Kazaara ^[3] examines the Ugandan political system and emphasizes the fact that the media can act as a double-edged sword, Rajab Idd Muingo ^[4] compares New Vision and the Daily Monitor in order to penetrate deeper into the values embodied in Ugandan newspapers, and scholar Bernard Tabayer ^[5] examines journalism and political oppression in Uganda and others . In addition, foreign scientists such as Aili Marie Tripp ^[6], Sam Wilkins ^[7], Claire Ayuma A.^[10] also paid attention to the study of the Ugandan political system. The research of these scientists provides a solid theoretical basis for this study.

The results of the study

Uganda's political system is a presidential republic with a multiparty system, the President has great power as head of Government and commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. Yoweri Museveni has been in power since 1986, making him one of the longest-serving leaders in Africa. He put an end to the chaos of Uganda's long-running civil war and made the political situation in the country more stable. In 2005, Museveni adopted a constitutional amendment abolishing the presidential term limit, thereby laying the legal foundation for his long-term rule.

Although the Ugandan Constitution theoretically guarantees multiparty democracy, in practice national politics has long been dominated by the National Resistance Movement (NRM). This management model is considered by many scientists as having the characteristics of an "autocratic democracy" and a "semi-authoritarian" one. Scholar Aili Marie Tripp defines Uganda as a "hybrid regime" and notes that "the extent to which the National Resistance Movement sought to consolidate undemocratic provisions in laws and the constitution illustrates both its need to legitimize its practice through formal mechanisms and its desire to monopolize power"^[6].

The development of journalism in Uganda took place in an environment of political upheaval, and the role and functions of the media at various stages largely depended on the political situation and social changes. The emergence of Ugandan media can be attributed to the communication activities of missionaries at the end of the 19th century. In 1896, the whole of Uganda was colonized by Great Britain. Anglican missionaries founded Uganda's first English-language newspaper, Mengo Notes, in 1900 to serve religious communications and the colonial Government (Monitor. How native media influenced issues in pre-independence Uganda https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/magazines/people-power/how-native-media-influenced-issues-in-pre-independence-uganda-3299230 (date of application: 11/23/2024).

This newspaper marked the beginning of journalism in Uganda and was one of the key components of the media during the colonial period.

However, under the yoke of colonial rule, local residents gradually tried to start their own media outlets to express their dissatisfaction with exploitation and oppression. In December 1920, the first independent newspaper in East Africa, Sekanyolya, was published. It was a monthly magazine in the Luganda language, founded by a group of Bagandas who worked in Nairobi, mainly as clerks, teachers and printers. The name of the newspaper, Sekanyolya, is the name of a long-necked bird in the Luganda language, which means "to observe" and symbolizes the mission to shed light on social problems ^[8]. The newspaper is considered an important media outlet for the early nationalist and anti-colonial struggles in East Africa, laying the ideological foundation for the subsequent independence movement.

In the period after Uganda gained independence in 1962 and up to 1986, the media gradually indigenized, and the content of newspapers began to focus on the political landscape and management methods of the new government. During this period, Ugandan media took on a new look, but progress in media freedom was accompanied by problems. During the two reigns of Apollo Milton Obote (1962-1971, 1980-1985) and the military dictatorship of Idi Amin (1971-1979), media freedom was severely undermined. The media were not only heavily censored, but also became a propaganda tool for the regime. Especially during the reign of Idi Amin, repression against the media, especially print media, reached its peak. Uganda's journalistic ecosystem has suffered significant damage: journalists have been persecuted, and private journalism has virtually disappeared (Monitor. A look back at the 119-year journey of Uganda's newspapers https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/magazines/people-power/a-look-back-at-the-119-year-journey-of-uganda-s-newspapers-1826536 (date of application: 11/23/2024).

In the 1990s, since Museveni came to power, the situation in the field of journalism and media development in Uganda has somewhat liberalized, private newspapers, radio and TV channels have appeared. However, the official media still occupies an important place. In 1995, Uganda adopted a new constitution, article 29 of which, devoted to the media, explicitly guarantees freedom of the media - "Everyone has the right to freedom of speech and expression, which includes freedom of the press and other media" (Uganda Legal Information Institute. Constitution of the Republic of Uganda https://ulii.org/akn/ug/act/statute/1995/constitution/eng@2018-01-05#chp_Four__sec_29 (date of access: 11/25/2024). However, the Government has consistently viewed the press as an important tool for maintaining regime stability by limiting the presence of critical voices. "We want freedom of the press, but we cannot allow hostile elements to speak out against us." Museveni formulated such a "liberal" view of his government ^[5]. This suggests that state support for the media is conditional, and press freedom is often suppressed by politics when it comes to sensitive issues. It is worth noting that the Law on the Press and Journalists (2000) gives the Government the authority to regulate the registration of journalists and the content of news, which further strengthens State control over the media (Uganda Legal Information Institute. Press and Journalist Act. https://ulii.org/akn/ug/act/statute/1995/6/eng@2014-02-10 (date of access: 11/25/2024).

Today, the Ugandan media landscape is rich and diverse, including a wide range of print publications, radio and TV channels, as well as Internet platforms. According to the Uganda Media Commission (Media Council of Uganda), as of 2021, there are 315 radio stations, 30 TV stations, 60 print publications and more than 70 online publications in Uganda (Media council of Uganda registration of press and media. https://mediacouncil.go.ug/media-council-of-uganda-registration-of-press-and-media / (accessed: 11/26/2024).

Table 1: Examples of the main types of media in Uganda

Based on this study, it follows that the Ugandan media market not only represents a model of coexistence between public and private media, but also covers several languages, reflecting the diversity of Ugandan culture.

The New Vision newspaper, which appeared in 1986, largely reflects the political structure of Uganda and the Government's influence on the media. As the main official media of the state, the newspaper mainly covers the political achievements of the government, especially in the field of domestic political stability, economic development and foreign policy. Through the New Vision newspaper, the Government is building a positive image of Uganda in the international arena. Unlike private media outlets such as the Daily Monitor, which provide more independent and critical materials. Thus, both newspapers were created with strong underlying principles: New Vision - to spread the vision of NRM, and Monitor - to strictly control NRM ^[9]. This interaction between public and private media demonstrates the diversity and complexity of the Ugandan media market.

According to the Uganda Media Landscape 2023 report published by the African Media Center, the most important type of media in Uganda is radio (African Centre for Media Excellence. Report on the state of Uganda's media landscape 2023. https://acme-ug.org/2024/08/12/report-on-the-state-of-ugandas-media-landscape-2023 / (date of access: 11/27/2024).

About 98% of Ugandan households have access to radio via traditional radio, telephone or Internet. Radio has a wide reach in Uganda, especially in remote areas, where it has become the main source of information for the population. Compared to television and print media, radio has more influence, and people generally trust radio and find its content more direct, reliable and easy to understand.

With the increasing popularity of computers and the Internet, online media and social media are rapidly developing in Uganda. Social networks such as Facebook (banned in Russia), Twitter (banned in Russia) and WhatsApp has become the main means of accessing information for Ugandans, especially for young people. Especially during elections and social movements, social media platforms such as Facebook (banned in Russia), Twitter (banned in Russia), etc., provide citizens with a space to express their views, but at the same time they are under pressure from government regulation.

Internet freedom and media freedom face numerous challenges. In 2018, the government introduced a "social media tax", restricting free access to platforms and increasing the cost of using social networks. However, due to the widespread use of virtual private networks (VPNs) by citizens to avoid tax, in 2021 this tax was replaced by a tax on all Internet data packages^[7]. Regarding the control of social media, Museveni stressed that "we are going to control this. We know who is spreading hate speech. We will pursue them" (Monitor. Ten things Museveni, media guru discussed at the inaugural presidential media round table. https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/ten-things-museveni-media-gurus-discussed-at-inaugural-presidential-media-round-table--1756064 (date of application: 11/28/2024).

In 2022, the adoption of the Computer Misuse Act (Amendment) further increased censorship of online content. The law prohibits the sending and distribution of hate messages, as well as false, malicious and unsolicited messages (Computer Misuse (Amendment) Bill. 2022. https://bills.parliament.ug/attachments/Computer%20Misuse%20 (Amendment)Act,%202022.pdf (accessed: 11/28/2024).

Such policies put journalists and news organizations at greater risk of censorship, fines, or even prosecution, especially when covering politically sensitive topics. These measures reflect the contradiction between maintaining superficial freedom of the press and real suppression in Uganda.

Conclusions

This study provides data on the historical development of the Ugandan media landscape and the relationship between the State and the media. From external control during the colonial period, local development after independence and to the advent of digital media in our days, Uganda's media system has undergone profound changes. Despite constitutional guarantees of media freedom, under the Museveni Government they are still subject to strict State regulation. In the Global Press Index for 2024, published by Reporters Without Borders, Uganda ranked 128th out of 180 countries and territories in the world in terms of press development (Reporters without borders. https://rsf.org/en/country/uganda (date of access: 11/29/2024).

This reflects the difficult challenges facing media freedom in Uganda. In the future, how Ugandan media will respond to the contradictions between the free dissemination of information and State control caused by the emergence of digital platforms in the context of globalization will remain an important factor determining their political and social future.