Uganda's Media Landscape

Abstract

This study analyzes the evolution of the Ugandan media landscape and its interaction with the political environment. The media in Uganda has historically undergone a transformation from external control in the colonial era to local development after independence and the transition to the digital age. Despite the constitutional guarantee of freedom of the media in Uganda, they continue to be subject to strict government censorship and control, especially in the field of regulation of social networks and online platforms. This phenomenon shows the contradictions and complexities between media freedom and government control in Uganda. About 98% of Ugandan households have access to radio via traditional radio, telephone or Internet. Radio has a wide reach in Uganda, especially in remote areas, where it has become the main source of information for the population. Compared to television and print media, radio has more influence, and people generally trust radio and find its content more direct, reliable and easy to understand. The study uses a qualitative research approach combining documentary analysis, case studies and comparative analysis. To do this, it was necessary, first, to trace the historical background and evolution of media policy in Uganda. Secondly, to select typical public and private media for case studies and examine their social functions under government control. The relevance of this work lies in the fact that, analyzing the historical development of the Ugandan media, their current state and connection with politics, it is possible to present a specific example for studying African media systems. The object of research in this work is the Ugandan media landscape, and the subject is the peculiarities of the development process and characteristics of Ugandan media. The novelty of the research lies in the combination of multidimensional perspectives of the historical, political and media environment of Uganda for a systematic analysis of the evolution of the Ugandan media landscape and its interaction with the political system. In addition, the study provides a unique perspective on the challenges faced by Ugandan media in the context of globalization, in particular the struggle between the growth of social media and government regulation, which offers new insights into the relationship between media and politics in other African countries.