By Leonard Kamugisha Akida
MASAKA
The Acting Executive Director of the Uganda Media Centre, Obeid Katureebe, has urged journalists to avoid hearsay and speculative reporting during the election period, warning that misinformation and fake news could undermine peace and stability.
“Report accurately and fairly, and avoid relying on speculative reports and partisan reporting so that you can give people accurate information during the election and post-election period,” Katureebe said.
He made the remarks on Saturday during an engagement with journalists from the greater Masaka region at Masaka Secondary School.
Katureebe said elections are a critical period that requires responsible journalism, noting that misinformation and fake news have the potential to disrupt national stability if not checked.
Masaka City Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Ahmed Washake said the media has immense power to shape public discourse and should use that influence positively.
“You are the people with the loudspeakers, the megaphones. Whatever you say can be replicated a million times, which means you are very powerful in information dissemination,” Washake said.
He cautioned that negative reporting can be destructive, adding that the media plays a key role in promoting stability, economic development and social cohesion.
“If the media decides that we need stability, economic growth and freedoms to flourish, it can make it happen,” Washake said, attributing Uganda’s relative stability over the past decades to responsible media engagement.
Washake also cited countries such as Libya, where he said foreign media narratives were used to influence the youth and destabilise the state, urging Ugandan journalists to avoid reporting that portrays the country negatively, especially during the election period, as it can harm the economy.
Uganda is preparing for presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for January 15, with more than 21 million registered voters expected to go to the polls.
Eight candidates, including incumbent President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, are contesting for the presidency.
