News editors boycott govt briefings over Museveni ban on adverts

The Uganda Editors’ Guild (UEG) has said private media houses will boycott government press briefings in protest against what they described as the unconstitutional directive on government advertisements.

In a statement issued on July 24, the editors said the arbitrary and unconstitutional directive issued by President Museveni on March 6, 2023, and further reinforced by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance on July 10, 2023 is detrimental to media freedom and the equitable distribution of public funds.

The contentious directive mandates all government advertising to be channeled solely through the state-owned Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) and the Vision Group. 
“In light of the aforementioned concerns, the media will boycott government press briefings in protest against the unconstitutional directive on government advertising until a resolution is reached,” the editors’ statement reads in part.

The editors said the presidential directive is in violation of the liberalized economy trajectory adopted by Uganda in the 1990s, where public agencies are expected to compete fairly with the private sector for revenue and government business.               
 
According to the press release, Article 40(2) of the Constitution of Uganda grants every individual the right to practice their profession and carry-on lawful occupations, trade, and business.
The editors urged the government to abandon the directive and seek alternative solutions that promote fairness, transparency, and accountability in the allocation of government advertising funds and also engage with the concerned authorities.

 They have also demanded for continued engagement between stakeholders in the media industry and the government to address pressing issues and find a constructive way forward. 
The editors further suggested that a number of critical issues should be addressed during the forthcoming meeting that is expected to be held between the Executives of the National Broadcasters Association (NBA) and the President, slated for August 10, 2023. 

According to the statement, some of the issues that should be resolved during this meeting include; discrimination and unconstitutionality of the directive, monopoly and fair competition, rights of journalists and media professionals as well as transparency and accountability.

Background                  
The Uganda Editors’ Guild is an association of the country’s senior editors and media scholars formed to foster professional and viable media that effectively advances a democratic society by promoting media freedom, credibility and professionalism. 
At its core, the philosophy behind the association is that editors must lead from the front in pursuing media freedom and professionalism, and “that we must produce journalism worth fighting for.”