When we held the Ugandan National Journalism Awards on July 31, Finance ministry Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury Ramadhan Ggoobi, who was the chief guest, referred to the famous Thomas Jefferson quote, which goes, “were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” And he added that government without newspapers [media] is chaos. It is simple but profound.
The National Journalism Awards, run by the African Centre for Media Excellence, is an opportunity to reflect annually on the state of our journalism throughout the country. The judges are often independent actors whose choices and reflections on the submissions paint a fair picture of where we are. We see how far the profession has moved from being a trade of fishmongers to a creative craft guided by ethical codes and regulations.
In general, there are things to celebrate and things to work on. There is no better place to start a reflection of the state of an industry than from within its professionals, that is why self-regulation is crucial. An industry that is regulated by the state, needs its own independent eyes, to be able to take stock of the things that are working and those that require a lot more work. Sometimes it is just to keep an eye on the state of media more holistically.
It has been gratifying to see many actors come on board to support the cause of making quality journalism available and within reach. To see corporate actors, outside of the media come on board, with sponsorship of awards that expand their spheres of influence, is one of the greatest rewards to journalism of our times.
Journalism often takes a beating for many things. Sometimes for mistakes made, other times for just getting it right. There are many ways, when journalists get it right, it puts them or their media organisations on a war path, with people who think that journalism is either hurting them personally, people they love or are mandated to protect. So, they find it their duty, to try and kill the spirit of great journalism.
In some ways, without these sponsors, it would be close to impossible to own these awards and sustain them. Bringing in local resources, is crucial for validating the importance of journalism at a time when anything and everything can be blamed on people over there.
I remember Mr Ggoobi telling the journalists in the room how to report the economy accurately, a great example of what it means to influence reporting. Yet, what makes journalism great is the ability to ask questions of those ways and the facts on the table. Journalism extends what is provided, and gives it frames relevant for ordinary people.
Sometimes that beating is from the environment. I have elsewhere highlighted that while journalism is a public good, provided in the public interest, it is largely in the hands of private players and barely supported by those mandated to create an enabling environment. For many of these actors, it makes little economic or business sense due to falling revenue and failing business models of yesteryears. Even where government heavily invests in its brand of preferred journalism, we have seen losses in ways that is scary for the future of journalism.
Other beatings have come from recent risks and crises such as Covid-19. The industry has faced existential threats that were exacerbated by Covid-19. If we do not respond to these challenges with courage and determination, it will signal the end of an era for some forms of media. And that will be tragic. Recognising effort, more so excellence and credible contribution to the industry is a great foundation for the authentic development of the field. Sometimes it is not a lot, but gives hope.
Sometimes the solutions are simple and in the hands of ordinary people. We have learnt that much effort can be put into telling beautiful stories with greater results. Yet, if people do not buy these new products in their preferred form, we shall tell these great stories in vain. We should have faith in journalism’s ability to reinvent itself through various periods and challenges. Media history teaches us great lessons of journalism’s resilience and an enduring spirit.
In the last decade, I have trained and had the fortune of working with some of the best journalism talents in this country. They have taught me that so much is possible when it comes to stretching our ability to tell great stories, given the right tools and environment to be creative and curious. They have also taught me what it means to move around obstacles of gigantic proportions – be it poor pay, a toxic newsroom culture, working with a few talents or facing threats from corners with great influence.
