Freelancing for Monitor Upcountry

Ali Balunywa in Mbale, Uganda

Mbale city is in the Eastern part of Uganda bordering Kenya. It is the administrative headquarters of the Eastern region. In its glory days, it used to be the cleanest city in East Africa.

It is here that I found Mudangha Kolyangha freelancing for the Monitor newspaper. The Monitor is Uganda’s other second daily newspaper. It is an independent daily founded by a group of journalists. Currently, it is owned by East Africa’s biggest media house, The Nation Group of Companies that publishes the biggest circulating newspaper in East Africa. It also owns radios and televisions in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Mudangha has a diploma in journalism and he joined the monitor in 2001. He freelances in the districts of Pallisa, Budaka and Butaleja. These districts neighbor Mbale district. They are under the jurisdiction of the Mbale bureau chief.

Freelancers have their areas gazetted to avoid clashing in their search for stories. Whenever there is an event in his area, the bureau chief calls him to assign him the duty to cover such an event.

However, he also follows up stories on his own initiative everyday. After getting his story/stories, he proceeds to the office to type them out after which he hands them to the bureau chief for editing. Sometimes he sends the stories direct to the Monitor in Kampala. Should the bureau chief or news editor in Kampala need some clarification, they call or send an email. 

Mudangha’s use of new ICT is limited to the computer, digital camera and mobile phone.  The computer is used for typing stories, emailing and cross checking facts using Google. The digital camera is used for taking photos which can be instantly sent to the newsroom. Lastly he uses the mobile phone for communicating, making appointments, interviews, receiving assignments and reporting.

Other new media were still new to him. He had no idea what social networking sites, blogs, Skype etc were. This was not strange as it is quite common with most upcountry reporters, correspondents and freelancers.

 

 

New Media, a Blessing for Upcountry Journalists

Ali Balunywa in Gulu, Uganda

The New Vision regional office in Gulu is located in the very heart of Gulu town in Northern Uganda, The New Vision newspaper is a member of the New Vision Group of companies and it is the biggest multimedia house in Uganda. It publishes 8 newspapers and 5 magazines. It owns 3 FM radio stations and a television network. (www.newvision.co.ug).

Chris Ocowun is the bureau chief of the New Vision in Gulu. He holds a diploma in journalism and mass communication. His typical day starts with an overview of the previous day, what was done or not done. He also looks at how stories can be improved or built on.

Every Tuesday, he chairs the editorial meeting between 8.00 am and 9.00am. They share news tips and ideas and assign duties to every one.

Every day Chris sends his staff out to the field in search of news or to follow up on stories. Every reporter is computer literate. Each types out his/her story on the computer and emails it to the editor. Deadlines for stories are 10.00am though breaking news stories can be sent much later. 

In the Gulu office newsroom, reporters share stories with each other before sending them to the editor to ensure that the grammar is right and facts are in order. The Gulu office has 6 reporters.

Chris observed that the new media is a blessing for upcountry journalists. It all starts with the computer, which is used for typing stories, editing them and forwarding them via email to the editor. It is also used to spell check and for obtaining background information.

Chris also uses Yahoo messenger for conducting interviews, collecting data and clarifying on some information. He however does not belong to any social networking sites, nor does he blog.

The office has a digital camera, which is used to take photos that are attached to stories. The photos are uploaded on the computers, cleaned up and instantly sent to Kampala.

The mobile phone is also used at the office in the line of duty. It is used for gathering news, making appointments, clarifying on stories and sometimes sending stories to Kampala.

 

 

Environment Journalist and ICT

Ali Balunywa in Mbarara, Uganda

Uganda does not have many specialist journalists, so when I met Ebenezer T. Bifubyeka in Mbarara, Western Uganda and he told me he was an environment correspondent for the New Vision I was pleasantly surprised.

The New Vision newspaper is a member of the New Vision Group of companies and it is the biggest multimedia house in Uganda. It publishes 8 newspapers and 5 magazines. It owns 3 FM radio stations and a television network. (www.newvision.co.ug) 

Ebenezer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in social sciences. He joined the New Vision in the year 2000. He is now its environment correspondent.

His typical day starts every morning by listening to radio. He tries to sieve out environment issues to provide him with tips for the day’s newsgathering. He arrives at the office at 9.00am and proceeds to read the newspapers especially the New Vision. He looks out to those stories that he can react to or use as tips for new stories.

Most of the time he assigns himself leads to follow. However, once in a while, the editor assigns him stories to follow up. His articles are always well researched and take time to complete. After completing an article he emails it to the editor in Kampala and also uploads it on his blog; www.tenbifubyeka.blogspot.com.

Apart from the computer and blogging, Ebenezer uses other ICTs in the course of fulfilling his journalistic duties. He uses his mobile phone for communication. He also uses the Internet’s search engines like Yahoo and Google.

He further uses the Internet’s social networking sites like Panos to share experiences and ideas with his peers. He is also a member of the online Mbarara environment journalists association 

He is additionally a frequent user of Yahoo messenger to source tips, generate ideas and exchange information 

Other new media he uses include the digital camera, spell checker, fm radio and television for tips. Lastly he subscribes to online bulletins on the environment.

Finally during his free time, Ebenezer writes novels. He has to date written 6.

 

 

 

“Provide New Technology to Reporters”: Felix

By Ali Balunywa in Mbarara, Uganda

The New Vision (www.newvision.co.ug) and the Daily Monitor (www.monitor.co.ug) are the two leading newspapers in Uganda. Journalists are proud to work for any of the 2. There is constant movement of staff between the 2 papers. Felix Basiime is one such a journalist. He worked with the Monitor for 10 years and in July 2008 joined the New Vision as a reporter based in Mbarara in Western Uganda.

Felix gets to the New Vision office at 8.30am everyday. He peruses the newspapers, checks his emails; New Vision, Gmail and Yahoo mailboxes. Thereafter he attends a brief editorial meeting where they share tips and receive assignments. He then works the phones looking for tips from the public, professionals like environmentalists and teachers or conducts interviews.

On his use of ICT, Felix thinks there is no way modern journalism can exist without it. For example, he charges his mobile phone everyday, because he uses it all the time. At times he gets some tips through text messages. He also subscribes to the mobile alerts where he receives breaking news alerts instantly on his handset. It costs him the equivalent of 15 Euro cents per text message. Sometimes he uses the phone for interviewing people.

Another ICT Felix uses is the computer. He uses it for typing in stories, Internet and email. Throughout the day, he constantly keeps on checking his mailboxes. He also sends his articles to the editors via email. After reading the articles, editors can either send it back via email for clarification or use the mobile phone. Felix also uses the computer for spell checks and finding synonyms.

Before the advent of the new media, stories could take a week to reach the editor through the post office. Likewise for photography which had a longer process of developing, then printing and finally posting the physical photos to the editor. Today he uses a digital camera and instantly sends the photos to the editor in Kampala.

The search engines; Google and Yahoo are a real blessing. Stories can be easily beefed up using search engines. Facts and figures can also be checked or confirmed by these tools.

Felix is the public relations officer of the blog; www.akayo.blogspot.com. He also contributes articles to the blog. It is a blog for journalists who report from upcountry.

Felix however thinks his employers should provide reporters in the countryside laptops and mobile Internet facility to make their work easier. The reporters would pay for the technology in instalments. This would make them more efficient and process news much faster without having to physically go to the office to type in a story then emailing it to the editor.

New Vision Senior Reporter's New Media

Ali Balunywa in Kampala, Uganda

Anne Mugisa is a senior reporter at the New Vision. She is a Bachelor of Arts communication science graduate. She was recruited in 1998. 

Anne has been reporting for the New Vision for over 10 years. She is happy with the new technological developments because they make her work much easier. She especially uses the computer to type in her stories, spell check, and mail to her editor. She also uses the search engines for her research. 

She does not blog, but always reads people’s blogs. However, she has no time for social networking sites.  Sometimes these and the overall Internet are sources of her stories.

Anne also uses the radio, intranet, email and mobile telephone in her day to day work at the New Vision.