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The mass media in Uganda includes print, television, radio and online sectors, and coverage is split between both state-run outlets and privately held outlets as well as English-language outlets and Luganda-language outlets.
There are a number of newspapers in Uganda today. New Vision is Uganda's leading English daily newspaper. It is a state-owned newspaper and has the largest nationwide circulation. The Daily Monitor is an independent English-language newspaper and second in circulation to the New Vision. The two papers dominate the print section of media in Uganda. Over the last decade, as Uganda's political opposition has gained strength, the Monitor has aligned itself more with the agenda of the opposition to counter the perceived government agenda fronted by the New Vision. This competition many times leads to entirely different aspects getting coverage in the five largest news publications in the country. For example, during the recent 2011 Walk To Work protests in the country, various government sources accused the Daily Monitor alongside other independent newspapers of having an anti-government agenda and favoring the opposition and demonstrators. [1]
Besides these two newspapers, there are also other papers, such as Eihwa – a privately-owned newspaper published in the Runyankore/Runyakitara language and Bukedde newspaper, which is a state-owned daily published in the Luganda language. There is also a daily called Red Pepper that started out as a weekly tabloid but is now one of the leading daily newspapers. Other papers include The Northern Press published in the city of Gulu, The Weekly Observer , The Independent , The Razor among others. Tabloids abound, with sensationalism and soft erotica common among tabloids like Onion and Entasi.
There are a number of online news websites. Key among these include: The Fast Observer, Nile Chronicles, PML Daily, and UgStandard, [2] ChimpReports, [3] Vanguard News Uganda, [4] Globe News, among others. [5]
There are also a number of magazines that come out every month, including Bride & Groom, which is printed by the New Vision; African Woman is another popular magazine. Elyte magazine and Newslex Super Magazine are entertainment-oriented magazines.
Uganda is now driving towards migrating from analog to digital TV broadcasting. The Uganda Communication Commission has launched a country-wide campaign to ensure that users switch to the standard. To access digital TV, users need to have digital-ready TV sets or purchase digital TV decoders. The Commission has licensed up to five firms to sell free-to-air decoders in the country. [6] Users also have the option of subscribing to Digital Pay TV service providers such as DSTV, GoTV, Zuku, SimbaTV and Startimes to access both paid-for and Free-to-air channels. [7]
Like in television, radio was dominated by the state-owned Radio Uganda up until the early 1990s when the first independent radio stations got licenses to operate. Sanyu fm and Capital fm are among the first and oldest radio stations in Uganda. Gradually other stations have joined the media industry and as of November 2013 there are well over 100 different radio stations on FM alone.
Some other popular stations include CBS, Simba, Super, Record FM and Dembe. Programming on radio is dominated by music, with most stations following a Top 40 format. Talk shows and comedy are also popular.
Radio is now embracing new kind of media and integrating with other communication channels. For instance, Radio stations in Uganda integrate mobile technology in their programming to increase on audience engagement. [8] Listeners can call in to a talk show and contribute their own opinions about what's been talked about.
Radio stations are also using the Internet to widen their reach. [9] Most radio stations use online radio streaming services such as Radiogarden, Odyovi, Listenfmradios.com, Streema and UGO to reach wider audiences than traditional broadcasting can, including Ugandans in the diaspora.
The internet as a media platform in Uganda is still quite new. Internet penetration levels are still very low when compared to other African countries. The recent Indian Ocean fiber optic cable project brought a lot of optimism and lead to an increased interest in the internet as a media platform. [10] It also led to investment with a number of local telecommunication companies investing into broadband and gprs subscription services. This has led to a surge in levels of internet penetration with almost anyone able to connect to the internet using simple USB dongles or even via mobile phones.
The recent Facebook deal with MTN Uganda made Facebook by far the most popular website in the country and a place where most young and working-class individuals spend a lot of time. The hope is that these new opportunities will spur more individual investments in the internet sector. A number of the local newspapers operate newspapers online. These newspapers, particularly those of Monitor, Ug Standard, [2] New Vision, Kab News, Newslex Point and Nile Chronicles, [11] are among the most popular Ugandan websites.
As of 2014, the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) put mobile Internet subscriptions at 4,196,133 compared to 106,900 fixed Internet subscriptions. [12]
Despite the increased level of media freedom in Uganda over the last decade, there are still calls for more action from government by journalists and media houses to let the media express themselves freely. [13] The recent cases of when CBS radio was shut down by government and also when NTV was shut down by the government on grounds of dissent are prime examples of government pressure on media. [14]
Mass media in Liberia include the press, radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet.
There are a number of systems of communication in Uganda, including a system of telephony, radio and television broadcasts, internet, mail, and several newspapers. The use of phones and the internet in Uganda has rapidly increased in the last few years.
The Daily Monitor is a Ugandan independent daily newspaper. Its name is shared by the Saturday Monitor and Sunday Monitor, which are also published by Monitor Publications Limited. Daily Monitor averaged a daily circulation of 24,230 newspapers in September 2011. By the fourth quarter of 2019, that figure had dropped to 16,169 copies daily.
Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) is the public broadcaster network of Uganda. It was founded as a result of the "Uganda Broadcasting Corporation Act, 2004", which merged the operations of Uganda Television (UTV) and Radio Uganda. It started broadcasting on November 16, 2005.
Television, magazines, and newspapers have all been operated by both state-owned and for-profit corporations which depend on advertising, subscription, and other sales-related revenues. Even though the Constitution of Russia guarantees freedom of speech, the press has been plagued by both government censorship and self-censorship.
Mass media in Kenya includes more than 91 FM stations, more than 64 free to view TV stations, and an unconfirmed number of print newspapers and magazines. Publications mainly use English as their primary language of communication, with some media houses employing Swahili. Vernacular or community-based languages are commonly used in broadcast media; mostly radio.
Nation Media Group (NMG), formerly East African Newspapers Ltd, is an East African media group listed based in Kenya and listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange. It is owned by Aga Khan IV.
The Vision Group of Companies, commonly known as the Vision Group, is a multimedia conglomerate in Uganda. It publishes the New Vision (newspaper), an English-language daily newspaper, that appears in print form and online, as well as newspapers and magazines in a variety of Ugandan languages.
The mass media in South Sudan is underdeveloped compared to many other countries, including fellow East African states like Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Poor transportation infrastructure and entrenched poverty in the country inhibit both the circulation of newspapers, particularly in states located far from the capital of Juba, and the ability of media outlets to maintain regular coverage of the entire country.
GNL Zamba, born Ernest Nsimbi, is a Ugandan hip hop artist who is credited with bringing rap and Lugaflow, a style of music to mainstream radio and other media in Uganda.
CBS FM Buganda is a Luganda radio channel in Kampala, Uganda.
Faridah Nakazibwe is a Ugandan journalist, who was appointed as Head of News at NTV Uganda, effective 31 March 2021. Replacing Josephine Karungi, who took up a job with the World Bank, as a communications consultant. Nakazibwe is also a Luganda news anchor and a host of Mwasuze Mutya, a show that airs on Nation Television Uganda and Spark TV Uganda, a sister TV in Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.
Sanyu Robinah Mweruka is a Ugandan news anchor, television presenter at Bukedde Television, a Luganda language media house which is part of the New Vision Group in Uganda.
Radio West is an FM radio station based in Western Region, Uganda. It is based in Mbarara with four additional repeaters. The station is owned by the Vision Group.
NBS Television, owned by Kin Kariisa, is a Ugandan television network with its headquarters located at Next Media Park, Plot 13, Summit View Road, Naguru, Kampala District.
NTV Akawungeezi is NTV Uganda's daily news programme, which is delivered in the Luganda language.
Sheila Nduhukire is Ugandan journalist, news editor and senior anchor with NBS Television and a fellow of 2017 International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) Great Lakes Reporting Initiative cohort.
Edwin Musiime is a Ugandan entrepreneur, pastor, author and formerly a media personality who stepped down from the property show to focus on his executive roles. He hosted Good Morning Uganda on Uganda Broadcasting Corporation TV (2006–2014) and hosted The Property Show on NTV Uganda for 10years. He serves as the President of the Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs Uganda. He was recently appointed as UK-Uganda convention ambassador.
Zambaali Bulasio Mukasa is a Ugandan news anchor and media personality. He anchors Luganda news Amasengejje and hosts Barometer (Akasameeme) a Luganda talk show on NBS Television (Uganda).
