“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.

Rural Journalists Using ICT

Ali Balunywa in Mbarara, Uganda

The New Vision Mbarara bureau chief is called Deus Ruhangariyo. The New Vision Group 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). Deus is a holder of A Bachelors degree in Social Sciences and various certificates in Journalism.

Deus’ typical day finds him at the office at 7.30 am. He first peruses the daily papers checking on the regional stories to establish what was run. He then starts compiling the line up of stories for Orumuri, New Vision’s sister newspaper published in the local Kinyankore language.

At 9.00 am, he chairs the editorial meeting which is attended by his deputies and journalists. During the meeting, they share tips and assign journalists work for the day.

In the afternoon, he calls stringers and correspondents from the outlying districts to coordinate stories that came out from other papers or to follow up assignments. He advises on what angles to take and what details to look for.

On Mondays, Deus chairs the operations committee meetings, which involves all heads of department. An assessment of the previous week’s work is made and a time frame of what is to be done in the new week is made. There is always a secretary who takes minutes and later shares them with headquarters via email.

On Wednesdays a planning meeting for the Orumuri newspaper sits. The meeting looks at the product, reviews the product on the market and brainstorms on the challenges faced while doing it. Possible solutions are also provided. Forecasts of what to include in the next issue is also made.

After all correspondents have filed their stories, an editorial meeting is held to select stories to be used in the paper. Subeditors have the mandate of deciding which stories to be carried on specific pages for example; a page runs on average 10 stories without adverts. It is also important to incorporate stories from outlets, which have high news sales returns.

After laying the pages the subeditors submit them to the bureau chief. He checks the flow in stories, cross checks facts, libel, defamation and grammar. If there is no problem he okays the pages, which are PDF-ed and sent to prepress to ready it for printing.

ICT use

The computer is the most used technology today. All stories from the outlying districts are received via email. The Internet is used to gather foreign news and Google for background information. Digital photos are fed into the computer, digitally edited using Adobe Photoshop software and integrated in the story using QuarkXPress programme. Previously, the PdFs used to be physically taken to Kampala for printing on a floppy or CD, now however, it is different. The PDFs are sent by email instantly.

Deus has 3 email addresses; the New vision mail, Yahoo and Gmail. He however doesn’t chat or use any social networking site. He is part of the Closed Mobile Group, which makes free calls within the group.

Finally he uses the FM radio to get news tips and to advertise headlines for a new paper.

Monitor’s Internet Geek

Ali Balunywa in Kampala, Uganda 

Grace Natabaalo is the Monitor’s Internet/Online subeditor. The Monitor is Uganda’s other second English 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. 

Grace is a graduate of Mass Communications. She joined the Monitor in 2006. Her work involves moderating comments from online readers and mobile phone text messages.

First thing in the morning she checks out the radio websites for stories not run in the paper, which she uploads, to the online edition. She then gathers incoming news from reporters and updates the website. She continues doing that during the course of the day. Grace uploads the website manually story-by-story. 

Grace subscribes to the Monitor Mobile alerts. A subscriber receives an SMS text with breaking news or headlines for the next day’s paper.

Grace is an ardent blogger and her blog name is: www.nattygrace.wordpress.com. She also uses Social Networking Sites like Twitter, Face book and Skype. She subscribes to the CNN news alerts for international news. She also belongs to Digbsy, which combines all chat clients like Yahoo messenger, MSN and Gmail.

In future, she said the team of Internet reporters will give readers a different content from the print version. Today the whole print version on the Internet is found at; www.epaper.monitor.co.ug 

With the coming of fibre optics cable and accompanying bandwidth expansion, the Monitor’s website will be put to maximum use. All editor’s and writers will be expected to have personal blogs. The website will also incorporate  audio and video components to make it fully interactive.

 

 

 

Graphic Designing at the Monitor

By Ali Balunywa in Kampala, Uganda

Under editorial department at the Monitor, you find the Creative section where Graphic designers sit. 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 

Janet Akong is one of the designers at the Monitor. She studied Industrial and Fine Art at Makerere University and joined the Monitor in 2004. She works on the magazine insertions: Full Woman, Sunday Life, Rainbow the Children’s magazine, Health and IT.

Janet wakes up at 5.00 am every morning to pray and prepare herself for work. She leaves home at 7.30 am and by 8.30 am she is at the office. She receives material from the product editor organized in a folder with a particular date when the magazine will be printed.

The pages are laid according to the stories coming in plus the pictures. Janet discusses with the product editor the final design of a particular magazine. She also liaises with the editorial team on the design. The creative section has 3 staff including Janet.

The designers use new Media tools in all their work. They receive raw material in soft copy through the intranet. They use QuarkXPress to design and layout the pages. They send the PDF copies to printers via mail. They subscribe to www.Photos.com for quality pictures they use to illustrate the stories.

They also Google for story ideas, research, inspiration and page formats. Mobile telephony is also a tool designers cannot do without. It is used for communication with editors, writers, printers and the head office in Nairobi, Kenya. Clients to receive news alerts or breaking news from the Monitor also use it. Further still it is used for texting, photography and recording.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monitor Launches E-Paper

By ISMAIL MUSA LADU in Namuwongo, Uganda

Daily Monitor has officially launched an electronic version also known as e-paper, for its newspaper to expand its reach and offer more interaction to its readers.

The e-paper is a digital version of the Daily, Saturday and Sunday Monitor with the same ‘Look and Feel’ as its print editions.

The e-paper comes with in-built features that can allow readers to easily access information in a number of formats like RSS feeds, PDF and audio.
Articles search will now be possible with this revolutionary facility.

Speaking at the launch of the e-paper yesterday at  Monitor Publications Limited(MPL) offices, the Presidential Advisor on ICT, Ham Mulira described the initiative as “excellent”.

Dr Mulira who is also the former Minister of ICT said with the new digital format, the entire world will have unlimited access to Daily Monitor  news, an advantage he implored advertisers not let go in order to tap into global markets.

“Somebody in San Francisco will now be able to read articles about Uganda and possibly inform a friend who may pick interest to come and see our gorillas here, so this is very crucial (initiative),” Dr Mulira envisioned. According to Dr Mulira the         e-paper will increase mileage for advertisers because of its ability to expand on the reach of Daily Monitor.

The Managing Director- MPL, Tom Mshindi said the company’s values of accuracy and independence among others will be continuously upheld in order to live to Daily Monitor brand promise of ‘Truth Every Day’. He emphasised that the e-paper is easy to use since it allows that user to easily scroll through the newspaper and view a particular page or article.

Mr Allan Zaramba, Digital Sales Manager for MPL adds that the e-paper has ‘save and print’ capabilities for reference purposes.

The e-paper which is currently on free trial will in a few days require a minimal subscription fee of only Ug. Shs 10,000 per month to have unlimited access. The fee is payable by credit card online  or cash at the Monitor Advertising Centre at Crown House, Kampala Road. 

http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/news/Monitor_launches_e-paper_85174.shtml

A date with a Monitor Editor

Ali Balunywa in Kampala, Uganda

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.

My first date at the Monitor was with Mr. Fred Masiga, an associate editor, Business. He joined the Monitor in the year 2001. In addition to having a Bachelors degree in Mass Communication, he also holds a Masters of Business Administration degree. 

Fred’s typical day at the Monitor is as follows:

5.30 AM: Wake up

6.45 AM: Drive to office

At the office go through the BBC, New York Times, Financial Times, Manchester Evening News, Reuters and other news websites. 

7.30 AM: Peruse through the day’s local newspapers and also the Monitor to                        identify any errors. He also carefully scrutinizes the nearest competitor,                The New Vision for any news that the Monitor could have missed

8.30 AM: Attend an editorial meeting that lasts approximately 30 minutes

9.00 – 11.00 AM: Assign journalists work, give briefings, make phone calls, sub available stories for pages that go to bed early and generally supervise the ongoing work.

11.00 AM: Attend the editors meeting which carries out a postmortem of the day’s paper and also check the docket drawn by the news editor from the early morning meeting chaired by the managing editor.

12.00 Noon – 3.00 PM: Start receiving stories from reporters; receive draft copy of the designed paper as subbing and passing pages is being continuously done

3.30 PM: Attend editors meeting for 30 minutes to decide what story should lead and passing of pages is agreed.

7.00 PM: Gather at the desk of the chief subeditor to agree on the headlines

8.00 PM: Leave for home.

Fred says some days he can attend up to 10 meetings and on others go out to meet a source or follow up a story. He works for not less than 12 hours everyday, 6 days a week. Monday is his only day off. 

On New Media use, Fred claims the computer is now an integral part of the media business. Typing and sending stories, email, the intranet, researching and many other wonders of the computer have made things easier for print journalists. He quoted for me the incident of the terrorists attacks on Hotels in Mumbai when he used the Voice Over the Internet Protocol (VOIP) with an Indian colleague to get instant updates of story as it was unfolding. Further still, the Monitor is in the process of upgrading its system to enable the journalists to blog.

Fred also praises mobile telephony. To emphasize its importance, the company provides official mobile phones and credit to most journalists. In turn these phones are supposed to be on 24/7. The phones usually have added services like the SMS, MMS, camera, Internet and recording.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

  

 

 

American Journalist Reporting for Vision

Ali Balunywa in Kampala, Uganda

Rebecca Jane Harshbarger is an American journalist who freelances at the New Vision newspaper. She has a BA in African Studies, a Masters in Journalism and specialist in print and web reporting, podcasting and blogging. Last summer she was an intern at the New Vision for 10 weeks and since March this year became a freelance reporter. 

The New Vision Group 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)

Rebecca is a freelance journalist at the Saturday and Sunday Vision’s business desks. Usually her editor gives her a story idea and she follows it up in the field. She has many contacts in the field that supply her information. Her contacts are based in companies, the stock exchange and other sectors of the economy.

Rebecca reads a lot, watches television and asks her contacts many questions to expand her information base. She has also written several articles outside her expertise like:

-       Recovery centre in Gulu for sexual violence survivors

-       Men and fitness

-       Wetlands

-       Youth offenders

On a normal day, Rebecca takes notes as she chases a story. She also uses a tape recorder, reads a lot and makes many follow-up phone calls. She later types in her story and sends it to the editor. She has not yet had a story rejected, but sometimes she re writes it.

On her use of new media tools, Rebecca admitted that they assist her a lot during her day-to-day beat.  She always has a digital camera with her to take pictures for her stories.

She uses the Google search engine a lot for research and beefing up stories. She also uses BBC, Washington Times, The Independent and other news websites for background information.

Face book is her best Social Networking Site. She has over 300 contacts in East Africa. It helps her for interviews, consultations, searches expert contacts for comments on current subjects for example if she is looking for a comment from the man on the street, she just asks her contacts. She is also a member of Twitter and LinkedIn.

Within the editorial the internal network: the intranet is used for communication and editing and correcting stories. The mobile phone is also another communication gadget that is used for both internal and external communication. Texting is more convenient for Rebecca, than calling. She also claimed she liked the way Ugandans use text messages for communication. Sometimes, journalists receive text storylines and set time to talk.

Rebecca’s blogs are ugandabeatslivejournal.com and ugandabeatswordpress.com. She uses them for searching and story ideas. She uses her computer at home to video podcasts. It helps her to get in touch with international news and to download American programmes. In the morning or late at night I sometimes log onto the New Vision system because then it is not to busy and can be quite fast. 

I have 3 email addresses, which I never close. I check on them from time to time, I never log out. I receive news stories, press releases and contact information through my email addresses.