Nation Media Group has announced changes to its news operation in Uganda creating a centralized news gathering platform called the “One Newsroom Initiative”.
According to a communication from Daniel Kalinaki, the General Manager for Editorial at Nation Media Uganda, there will be one News and Planning Desk based at Serena Hotel.
Kalinaki wrote that all reporters for the newspaper, radio station, TV and online will be deployed out of this office.
The office will be headed by veteran journalist, Williams Kato who is currently based at NTV. Kato, who is set to retire soon, will be deputized by Yasiin Mugerwa, who is National News Editor.
Seasoned journalist Emmanuel Mutaizibwa has been appointed Editor, Politics, Security and Diplomacy Hub. He will oversee the group’s coverage of politics and Parliament.
We understand that these structural changes have been in the pipeline for the last five years but had never been implemented until now.
COMMUNICATION IN FULL
Last month I announced that we would be reorganising how we work in order to change what we produce as we seek to create content that customers love. Building on our integration efforts over the past couple of years, we are now taking an important step forward towards our One Newsroom initiative.
The key highlights are:
(a) Creating a centralised news gathering operation under one News and Planning Desk based at the Serena Newsroom. All reporters will be deployed out of here and all platforms (TV, radio, print and online will be served by this operation).
(b) Creating Content Hubs to give depth to related news reporting but focus mostly on non-news evergreen content that is interesting and unique.
(c) Pooling our content production teams to rationalise workloads and ensure an optimal mix between processing breaking news/event coverage and producing higher-value longtail content.
The following (re)deployments are necessary to support these changes:
News and Planning Desk:
1. Williams Kato is appointed head of the News and Planning Desk to kick-start its operations while he prepares for his early retirement. He will report to the ME.
2. Yasiin Mugerwa is appointed National News Editor and will deputise Williams.
3. Linda Kibombo will deputise Yasiin and, as Planning Editor, also oversee an evergreen news docket.
4. Mercy Nalugo, Paul Katantazi, Solomon Kaweesa, and Jude Luggya will work as a pool of cross-platform news producers with a dotted reporting line to the Newsroom Production hub.
5. Frederick Musisi is appointed Acting Editor, Investigations, reporting to the Head of News and Planning.
6. Doris Nyakato and Gloria Mpumbya are redesignated as Co-Lead Researchers. They will work together to complete the library digitisation process and bring our archives to life by supporting our content production processes.
Note: Reporters and camerapersons not attached to specific hubs will sit in a general deployment pool whose details will be communicated and rotated regularly.
Content Hubs:
1. Julian Mwine is appointed head of the Content Hubs. He will report to the GME with a dotted line to the ME.
2. Emmanuel Mutaizibwa is appointed Editor, Politics, Security and Diplomacy Hub. He will take point in our coverage of these areas, including Parliament, and oversee the new People Desk in the interim.
3. Nelson Naturinda is appointed Editor of the Business and Technology Hub. He will draw on the experience embedded in TheEastAfrican team to deepen our coverage of business as well as bring TEA closer into the country operation.
4. Rosie Amodoi will lead the Lifestyle and Culture Hub.
5. Gillian Nantume is appointed Editor, Sustainability Hub responsible for our cross-platform coverage of health, climate change, gender, and the ESG agenda.
6. Moses Taremwa is appointed lead Editor and Writer on the Education and Careers Desk.
7. Jan Napio as Editor, Opinions now has an expanded mandate to increase the range and diversity of views across our various platforms.
Audiences and Engagement:
1. Angela Nampewo is redesignated as Editor, Digital Platforms reporting to the ME.
2. Job Bwire is Websites Editor, with production responsibility for the Monitor and NTV websites and with a dotted reporting line to the Head, Newsroom Production
3. Sabra Nakkazi is Social, Search and Analytics Lead.
4. Joseph Tumwesigye is Social Media Lead.
Newsroom Production:
1. Allan Chekwech is appointed Head, Newsroom Production. He will report to the GME with a dotted line to the ME.
2. Henry Sserunjogi is in charge of Linear TV production.
3. Catherine Ageno is in charge of Audio production, including podcasts.
4. Tony Amenyo is in charge of Print Production.
5. Under this arrangement, all sub-editors and producers are pooled together and deployed weekly or daily based on newsroom needs. Sam Ssetumba is appointed Head, Partnerships and Training. Reporting to the GME, he will drive our partnership efforts while continuing to teach cross-platform skills across the newsrooms.