Jinja City, Uganda: Journalists in the Busoga Sub-region have been urged to embrace conflict-sensitive reporting and avoid biased or inflammatory coverage as Uganda heads into the 2026 General Elections.
The call was made by media trainers and journalism academics during a three-day workshop on conflict-sensitive journalism held at Zeptan Hotel in Danida, Walukuba-Masese Division, Jinja City. The training, organised by Uganda Radio Network (URN) in partnership with the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME), was funded by the Royal Danish Embassy under the M-SPACE project.
Closing the training, Dr William Tayeebwa, a Senior Lecturer of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University, urged reporters to prioritize peace journalism and focus on issues rather than personalities.
“Journalists must pay attention to conflict hotspots and report in a way that does not escalate tensions. Balance is crucial, especially among competing political parties, because every party matters in an election,” Dr Tayeebwa said.
He emphasised ethical reporting, gender sensitivity, and amplifying grassroots voices instead of focusing solely on politicians.
Dr Charlotte Kawesa Ntulume, also a journalism lecturer, reminded journalists and media managers to avoid incitement and uphold professionalism.
“The media is key in ensuring peaceful elections. I urge journalists in Busoga to be responsible and refrain from unethical reporting,” she said, also calling on security agencies to cooperate with journalists during the election period.
The training was conducted with the support of the Uganda Editors’ Guild (UEG) and the Uganda Media Women’s Association (UMWA). Participants included reporters from various radio stations and partner media houses across Busoga.
URN’s Busoga Bureau Chief Racheal Wambuzi, alongside Vivian Tumusiime, said the programme aimed to “remind journalists of key issues as they prepare to cover the 2026 elections,” especially the need to promote peace rather than escalate conflict through careless reporting.
“Elections will end, but your neighbour remains. This is why peace journalism matters,” Wambuzi said.
Several journalists praised URN for the timely intervention and pledged to apply the principles they learned. “I pledge to put into practice what I have acquired and also transfer knowledge to my colleagues. I will ensure I prioritize peace journalism rather than fueling conflicts,” said Aisha Nabitoogo of Baba FM.
Tusabe Rebecca and Nakiganda Faiza also said the sessions equipped them with skills to ensure balanced, ethical, and safe reporting during the election period.
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