There can be no press freedom with no financial independence – Daily Monitor

By Dr William Tayeebwa

The coronavirus pandemic, known as Covid-19, continues to wreak havoc that is best captured in numbers of confirmed cases, deaths and recoveries. There is, however, a different data set that should not escape our notice especially on World Press Freedom Day. The pandemic has constricted revenue streams for media organisations, forcing some print titles to suspend operations (Ennyanda) and several others to contemplate cost-cutting measures (such as laying off and furloughing journalists).

Both outcomes are deeply disturbing; if anything, because a robust press takes up a central place before, during and after a pandemic. It is not a stretch to conclude that access to verified and accurate information can mean a matter of life and death. A robust press is an indispensable source of information. It provides a trusted sieve that nips the infodemic of misinformation and disinformation in the bud.

The act of newsgathering and investigation, the researching of stories which are layered with different complexities, is a costly endeavour. Doubly so with restrictive measures, such as public and private transportation that have come in place to stave off the inescapable Covid-19.

If there was any doubt that there cannot be press freedom without financial independence, then its taken covering an unprecedented public health crisis to crystallise this time-honoured truth. The press cannot hold those in power to account if its finances are not on a sound footing. The domino effect in such a scenario is one of loss perpetuating loss.

Either the media organisation will not have the financial capacity to advance investigative journalism or the transition from watchdog to lapdog will subsume its content with puff pieces and officialdom. Neither is a good place for the press to be. It essentially leaves the press in shackles at the whims of those with power.

As it were, the mass media in Uganda are heavily reliant on advertising revenue. This hardly makes them independent because, as an old dictum reminds us, he who pays the piper calls the tune. And its not just corporate interests at play here. The manner in which the National Association of Broadcasters reportedly sought to dip its fingers in governments cookie jar ostensibly for relaying official Covid-19 messages was telling in more ways than one.

The projection of Uganda Journalists Association (UJA) as a vulnerable poor was also equally telling. It is not reassuring if journalists are propped by those they are supposed to hold accountable.

Clearly, the financial model on which independent media in Uganda operate leaves them susceptible to being lapdogs. This squarely leaves press freedom in retreat. This should worry us all because a free, healthy press remains a fundamental test of democracy and open government.

As we celebrate World Press Freedom Day, the need to front a financial model that wont impel the press to make a sacrifice at the altar of survival is greater now more than ever. Its not just humanity that has been brought very low by a very humble assailant in Covid-19. The presss existential threat has also surged to the fore.

It is never comfortable if you are trapped between a rock and hard place. Yet that is exactly where the Ugandan press finds itself. Consumers are evidently reluctant to pay for access to content. It is not just the sales model of revenue generation that is perilous; the advertising model is also in decline. A mixed revenue model has also proven to be hardly helpful. So where does the press go from here?

Options like crowdfunding should be explored; as should grant income and philanthropy. Al Jazeera satellite TV network for instance traces its roots back to grant funding. It started with a $150 million grant from the Emir of Qatar in 1996 and has since proceeded to diversify its income streams.

However, public funding is also a welcome option to all media established media outlets in form of tax exemptions and other forms of assistance.Dr. William Tayeebwa is the Head, Department of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University