Let’s walk the talk on press freedom

Last Friday, Uganda joined the rest of the world to commemorate the Press Freedom Day. As always, different leaders made great remarks about the need to respect, promote and protect freedom of expression and opinion. Specifically, the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, said: “Journalists should not be harassed as they do their work.”

Nevertheless, Reporters without Borders, a global observatory body on press freedom, ranks Uganda in the 128th position out of 180 countries. In their 2024 Press Freedom Index, they state: “Journalists in Uganda face intimidation and violence on a nearly daily basis. They are regularly targeted by the security services, the leading perpetrators of attacks against reporters in the country.”

These findings are a disconnect from what our leaders say in public. Just last week, the Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among, went after the Observer, threatening to sue it for exposing alleged corruption in the House. We know that in a healthy democracy, press freedom stands as one of the pillars ensuring accountability, transparency, and the right to information into the fabric of society.
 Yet, despite its fundamental importance, this cornerstone of democracy often finds itself challenged, tested, and even trampled upon as documented above. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we not only pay lip service to the ideals of press freedom but also actively safeguard and promote it in our actions, policies, and attitudes.

We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the erosion of press freedom within our borders. We should resist all kinds of censorship, intimidation, harassment, illegal arrests, imprisonment, disappearances, and any form of violence against media practitioners, simply for doing their job of holding power to account and informing the public. Additionally, our journalists and media houses face online trolling and economic pressures. These undermine their ability to report without fear or favour. When media are silenced or self-censored, the public’s right to know is compromised, and democracy itself is weakened.

To truly uphold the spirit of press freedom, we must first acknowledge its intrinsic value. However, valuing press freedom is not enough; we must also defend it vigorously. We all have a role to play in safeguarding the rights of journalists and media organisations. This means enacting and enforcing laws that protect journalists from harassment and violence, ensuring access to information laws are robustly implemented, and fostering a culture that celebrates and supports good journalism. Let us not merely pay lip service to the ideals of press freedom but commit ourselves to walking the talk.