I welcome you all, especially our partners with whom we are coalescing under the Uganda Media Sector Working Group (UMSWG).
As has already been noted, the theme for this year; A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the Environmental Crisis’ is challenging all of us to highlight the profound role of journalism and freedom of expression in shaping ideas to the already unfolding global climate disaster.
It is also an indication of how quickly the world is moving away from the previous subdivision of rights where at times attention was being drawn more to the civil and political rights than the economic, social and cultural rights and the group rights.
Human rights ought to be seen as a whole, owing to their inter-connectedness. As a national human rights institution, we continue to take a holistic outlook on human rights and freedoms as evidenced through our Annual Reports.
Our 25th Annual Report dedicated chapters two, three and eight to highlighting environmental issues and offered tailored recommendations.
The impact of increasing global warming as a result of human activity is threatening human life, health as well as biodiversity, with some species facing extinction. We are already witnessing unpredictable rains, excessive heat waves, violent flooding, mudslides and landslides with far-reaching impact on human stability.
This World Press Freedom Day commemoration is therefore timely to remind us all, especially those who wield the power of the pen that, with the right tools, choice of words, facts and support of one another, we have everything it takes to address environmental challenges that we are currently dealing with.
It is equally important that duty bearers, especially those mandated with making appropriate laws and policies recommit to equipping the journalism profession with all that is necessary to spotlight the environmental challenges.
The desire and the zeal to solve the outward environmental issues should not impair our vision regarding the disruption of previously orderly newsrooms and structured flow of information which is as a result of recent technological advancements.
Things like exclusivity of information, fact-checking, balance and attribution; plus community journalism which focuses on developmental issues are increasingly fading and giving way to, rushed content, sensational one-sided reporting, click-baits as the scramble for followers becomes more acute.
This, coupled with the high rate exit of experienced reporters from newsrooms in search of better paying jobs, are likely and are already affecting the reporting on environmental issues which require a lot more time to investigate, space in terms of coverage, resources and tools which our profit-oriented media houses cannot afford.
I would like once again to thank the Uganda Media Sector Working Group with whom we are spearheading this year’s commemoration, Makerere University, the African Center for Media Excellence (ACME), the Uganda Communications Commission, the Media Council of Uganda, the Uganda Editors’ Guild, Media Focus on Africa, Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda, Uganda National Academy of Sciences, Health Journalists Network Uganda, Media Challenge Initiative and the International Training Programme for pulling this off.
Allow me to extend special thanks to our regional partner Journalists Associations like the Northern Uganda Media Club, Mt. Elgon-Bukedi Media Organization, Umbrella for Journalists Kasese and Teso Journalists for Community Empowerment for being able to organize commemoration activities within their respective areas despite the economic hardships that challenge us every day.
As I end, I reiterate our long term commitment to the protection and promotion of press freedom and freedoms of the media and to take forward any recommendations from this year’s commemoration activities.
*This is an abridged version of a speech delivered by Mariam Wangadya, the chairperson, Uganda Human Rights Commission at a public dialogue to commemorate World Press Freedom Day.
