“The Internet is the Most Important Media Tool”, Cissy

Ali Balunywa in Gulu, Uganda

The Monitor office unlike the New Vision’s in Gulu has several female reporters and correspondents. Cissy Makumbi is one of them. She joined the Monitor in 2007 as a correspondent. 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.

For Cissy, a typical day depends on what is happening in the region. However, she is always at the office by 8.00am to attend the editorial meeting. Thereafter she goes to the field in search of news, following up tips or to conduct interviews.

After getting her stories, she goes back to the office and discusses them with her boss before typing them. The discussion involves establishing what angle the story should take. The computers are not networked, so Cissy uses a flash disk to pass the typed story to her colleagues and bureau chief, before sending it to the Monitor in Kampala.

To Cissy, the Internet is the most important new media for journalists. She uses it for communication via email, yahoo and messenger. She also uses it to access news from other sources and to beef up her stories with the Google search engine. She does not blog, nor belong to any social networking sites, but she relaxes with the Solitaire computer game.

The other tool Cissy uses most is the mobile telephone. Her phone has a camera, recorder, radio video and texting in addition to making and receiving calls. She is a proud user of all the functions of her telephone.

Oketch Bitek, not Okot B’tek!

Ali Balunywa in Gulu, Uganda

When Oketch Bitek told me his name, I automatically assumed that I heard Okot B’tek the famous poet and novelist. However, he explained to me that he was no relative of the poet. Oketch is a freelance journalist with the New Vision.

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) 

Oketch is a university graduate. He is in possession of a Bachelor of Arts degree in education. After school he first worked with the Monitor newspaper as the Northern Bureau chief. He was also a reporter for the Central Broadcasting Services FM Radio and at the same time a researcher for international television stations.

Oketch arrives at the office every, day at 8.30 am. He asks his boss if there is any pending assignment. If not, he goes through the book to establish if there is any unaccomplished task or invitation to a function or event.

He also checks the Internet for any pending invitation or local issue. He then peruses through the local papers to see if there is any issue that they overlooked or to get tips for new stories.

After writing his articles, Oketch types them using the office computer and sends them to the bureau chief, who sends it to Kampala if found okay.

On the new media technology, Oketch confirmed that he uses the computer for Internet, email, spell checking, retouching photos and reading other newspapers. He however admitted that he does not use the search engines, chatting or social networking sites nor does he blog. 

Oketch uses the mobile phone for communication, receiving assignments, texting and reporting. He owns a laptop, which he uses to write his stories and send them to the editors or/ and bureau chief. He also listens to FM radios to get story tips.

 

 

Corresponding for New Vision

Ali Balunywa in Gulu, Uganda

Cornelius Lubangakene is a freelance journalist with the New Vision in Gulu, 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).

Cornelius arrives at office every day at 8.30am. He attends a brief editorial meeting where tips are shared and assignments given. Invitations for functions are also allocated to different journalists. Cornelius then listens to the radio to get more news tips. He also goes out to the police station or the court or market in search of news.

He uses motorcycle taxis or boda boda as they are locally called. He always carries with him a notebook, camera, mobile phone and pen. After getting his stories, he returns to the office, types them on computer, downloads photos and mails it to Kampala.

He regards the computer as his main new media tool. He uses it for typing stories, spell checking, email, Google, Gmail and chatting to source stories. He however doesn’t use any social networking sites. The mobile phone is the second best tool to use in news gathering and reporting. It is used for receiving assignments, texting and interviewing sources.

Cornelius also uses the radios for sourcing news tips. 

“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.

Corresponding for Monitor Digitally

Ali Balunywa, in Mbarara Uganda

Jossy Muhangi is a pioneer student of Mass Communication at Makerere University. He is currently a Monitor correspondent in Mbarara, in Western Uganda. The Monitor is Uganda’s other second English daily newspaper. (http://www.monitor.co.ug/) 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.
Jossy also freelances for the African Press Agency.

He recalls that while studying at the university, they were using typewriters during their studies. It was the same at the newspaper office where they did their internship. Only typesetters then had access to computers! Photography then was a reserve of professional photographers and the process of getting a photo usually took days.

However now it is different. Every morning Jossy attends the daily meeting at the bureau office. The meeting is purpose is to generate news tips after which the bureau chief assigns the reporters what to do for the day. The reporters and correspondents go out in the field to gather news by way of following tips, interviewing sources and observing what is happening. From time to time they return to the office to type and file their stories.

While going about their daily work they use the new media. For enriching their stories and beefing them up, search engines like Google are continuously used. The computer is also used for typing ion stories, retouching photos and exchanging and filing stories. The Monitor intranet system is extended to Mbarara, however, whenever the office system slows up a public Internet café is used.

Jossy has Microsoft Outlook instant alerts, which alerts him whenever an email comes in. At the office he now uses a digital camera. There is also a scanner, which is used to scan historical photos submitted by the public.

Jossy can never work without his mobile phone. He uses it for communication, photography, recording, SMS- and MMS-ing. Even though the photo quality is not very good, the mobile phone camera comes in handy when he is covering sensitive stories like the military adorning party colors or torturing civilians. Photos can also be easily taken from a bus or other vehicle.

Jossy is belongs to several Social Networking Sites like LinkedIn and Twitter which he uses for keeping in touch and networking. He is also a member of the Commonwealth Journalists Association, the International Federation of Journalists and the Science Global Network Communication initiative. His membership helps him to access other journalists internationally by email, provides training opportunities, awards and scholarships.

Jossy is an ardent blogger. His blog is: http://www.jossmuhangi.blogspot.com/. Here he posts all his stories especially those that are not run by the Monitor. He also uses the Yahoo messenger a lot. It is much safer since the law of intercepting telephone calls was instituted making it difficult for sources to hold telephone interviews.

He proposes that through the Monitor, an Internet connected laptop and digital camera should be provided to correspondents in the field to simplify news gathering and filing even from remote places. This would go along way in creating efficiency and news deliverey.

The Serious Business of Reporting Business

Ali Balunywa in Kampala, Uganda

Reporting on business is a serious business at the Monitor newspaper. The Monitor is Uganda’s other second daily newspaper (www.monitor.co.ug). 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.

Dorothy Nakawesi is a serious business news writer at the Monitor. She was recruited in 2002. She holds a diploma in journalism and media studies and a certificate in finance and economic reporting.

Dorothy’s typical day starts by reading the day’s newspapers looking out for news tips. She looks at what is happening around and makes phone calls to confirm interviews and press conferences. She basically follows up tips on importation, export or investment issues.

The same morning, Dorothy attends the editorial meeting to review the day’s paper. During the meeting, at times, she is assigned to cover an event. However she also generates her own ideas. 

After the meeting she either goes out to follow a story, fulfill an appointment, do an interview or starts writing her stories. She does this after briefing her editor on what angle to take on a story. After writing a story she sends it to the editor for editing or approval.

Dorothy is grateful that she started reporting in the era of the new media. For example she uses the mobile phone for communicating with her contacts, receiving assignments, reporting, consulting, texting, photography, recording, receiving mobile news alerts, timing and stress relieving background music.

She uses the computer for typing in and mailing stories. She also uses it for researching for backgrounds via Google and the Wikipedia and spell checking her writings. She is a member of several Social Networking sites like face book which she uses  to communicate with contacts sourcing story ideas.

She is also a user of Yahoo messenger, which she uses to talk to Ugandans in the Diaspora about their views about events in Uganda and abroad. She uses the MSN for a similar purpose. She is also in possession of a digital camera and a digital recorder, both of which, she uses on a daily basis to aid her illustrate or prove stories.

 

The Monitor’s Systems Connectivity

By Ali Balunywa in Kampala, Uganda

Gladys Buteraba works at the Monitor as the Helpdesk Administrator. The Monitor is Uganda’s other second daily newspaper (www.monitor.co.ug). 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.

Gladys is a computer nerd who studied Business computing and also holds a Cisco Certificate of Network Association (CCNA). Her job is to look out for internal clients with computing problems. She understands the sections of every department, which enables her to provide tailor made solutions.

In the course of her work, she logs on and makes personal checks to find out if the systems are running properly. The systems include; the intranet, email, accounts and editorial. She also handles the day-to-day user codes sections composed of networks, systems and helpdesk.

The networks include the Local Area Networks (LAN) and the Wide Area Networks (WAN) in other words Internet connectivity. The Systems administrator manages all the systems in the organization. These include; the editorial, digital and finance systems. Lastly, the Helpdesk is first line trouble shooting area. It also coordinates all the sections and redistributes work. It further does the check on the physical structures like the satellite Vsats that provide the wireless link to the head office in Nairobi, Kenya and also downloads foreign news from Reuters and other News organizations.

The Helpdesk department receives calls from people in trouble with their systems and someone is assigned to go and look at the problem and solve it where possible on site. Sometimes the system might need reformatting or re installation, which can only be done in the IT room.

Gladys explained with pride how the Monitor is leading in digital innovations. She mentioned the mobile alerts service, which the Monitor outsourced from service providers called: True African. They teamed up with all mobile telephone providers to provide alerts on clients’ mobile phones. The clients pay some money on subscribing to the service. 

The Monitor mobile alerts offer breaking news and news headlines to subscribers. A new client just types in “monitor alert”, enters a number and sends to a specific number provided and he will be subscribed to the service.

Gladys was also happy to note that the Internet through Outlook organized the journalists. It provided an internal email address, keeps contacts and appointments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The "East African" Special Correspondent

Ali Balunywa in Kampala, Uganda

Esther Nakkazi is a special correspondent for the East African newspaper in Kampala, Uganda. The East African is one of the many publications by the regional media giant; The Nation Group based in Nairobi, Kenya. It publishes newspapers in all East African countries of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.(www.nation.co.ke)

Esther joined the East African newspaper in the year 2000.She is a holder of a BA degree and a postgraduate diploma in journalism. Her niche in the industry is science and the environment. 

Esther is a correspondent for a number of news organizations for example; the East African, plus news at www.plusnews.org, the Monitor, Real Health News (UK) and she also trains upcoming journalists in environmental training through the Uganda Media Development Foundation. She also edits “Eyenet” an IT newsletter.

Before embarking on any assignment Esther attends the Monday editorial meeting where tips are exchanged. She mostly assigns herself what to do. They then network and agree on a team of 2 reporters to be sent out. Newsgathering takes the form of follow-ups, hard news and features preparing.

Esther also attends conferences, carries out interviews and reads other newspapers to get tips. She subscribes to many journals. After reading, she contextualizes the news to the Uganda system. She is also a good listener from which activity she gets many tips. Furthermore has a network of sources, which tip her especially for exclusives.

Esther has wholly embraced the new media. She owns a Macintosh laptop that is like an extension of her. She types in direct whether at a conference, conducting an interview, reporting on a press conference or gathering hard news. As soon as she types a story she attaches a relevant photo she has taken with her digital camera and emails her editor instantly. 

Her blog is used for training purposes. All her experiences while training are uploaded on her blog especially how students perceive the training issues they raise about climate change.  Her website is; www.necjogha.org or better still http.estanakkazi.blogspot.com. 

She uses the Google search engine all the time for background information. She is also on Face Book and Twitter.  Esther uses Skype, Yahoo and MSN for chatting with sources of news. Thereafter she copies and pastes directly in a story. She prefers that to a face-to-face interview. She furthermore uses email, fm radio for tips, mobile phone and texting.

  

 

 

New Vision Automated Pre Press

Reuben Zaramba is the New Vision Pre press manager. He is a holder of a BA degree in industrial and commercial design. He joined the New Vision group in 2004. His job requires him to prepare all work for printing.

Reuben told me that New Vision had acquired modern equipment in the pre press department. The old technology involved making films in a dark room. Today the process is automated direct from computer to plate to press. The artwork of the newspaper is received from the subeditor through the intranet in PDF form in soft copy.

Pre press staff makes an imposition – dummy book like layout on a plate using imposition software. The proofs are presentations of what will appear at the end of the process. It is compared with what is on computer and if okay impressions are made ready to copy to plate.  Plates have a coating, which is photo sensitive on one side where the laser beam burns the image.

All these processes use new media for example mobile telephony; “We can receive mobile alerts from the machines should something go wrong during processing. The mobile telephone is also used to contact the subeditor in case there is a problem with the PDF”.

The Internet is also used frequently. The mobile alerts from the machine are also sent to our emails. Additionally New Vision upcountry bureaus use email to send their PDF of the regional newspapers for printing. Before automation, a car used to be provided to drive hundreds of kilometers to collect the dummies.