A Case Study of the Ugandan Print Media - the New Vision (June to August 2008)
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PERCEPTIONS OF JOURNALISTS ON WOMEN ACCESS, EMPLOYMENT AND PARTICIPATION IN NEWS PRODUCTION. A case study of the Ugandan print media - The New Vision (June to August 2008). MASTER THESIS Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment for the award of Master of Philosophy Degree in Media Studies (2007-2009). Department of Media and Communication (IMK), University of Oslo. JANE ANYANGO Spring, 2009. Dedication I dedicate this project to my husband Benson Ouma Juma and our four children Emma, Emily, Eva and Evans for recognising, valuing and understanding that this was the only opportunity for me to grab. ii Acknowledgements I am heavily indebted to my Advisor, Prof. Eli Skogerbø for her guidance, supervision and support throughout this research project. Eli, your cool approach in guidance gave me courage and confidence even where things were difficult. I am equally grateful to my Co- Advisor, Carol Dralega Azungi for her deep insights into the situation of women in Uganda generally, and particularly women in the media and for her untiring encouragement and practical advise. Carol, on the road, at the T-bane station and in the supermarket, you always saw me first and you could not leave me without knowing how I was doing with my thesis. You are my academic mother to say the least. I am indebted to the management of The New Vision and my informants; the female and male reporters as well as the editors, for allowing me in the organisation to gather information and participating in this study. This project emanated from your input. I thank my colleagues at the Institute of Media and Communication; Joseph Okurut, Lawrence Asare, Maria Camen, Sanda Bandalau and Jovial Musubika for their moral, academic and physical support throughout this programme. I thank the management of Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) for recognising the importance of this course and granting me a study leave. I am indebted to my immediate family for standing by me. My dear husband Benson Ouma Juma, for your love, support and understanding while I was away. Thanks so much for taking the double role of a father and a mother to look after our four children in my absence. To my parents, brothers and sisters, in-laws, relatives and friends thanks for your encouragement. I am grateful to the Norwegian community for the conducive environment that enabled me study and live without any difficulties. The security, the facilities, the infrastructure, the peacefulness and personal freedom at disposal in a way contributed to my success. Finally and most important, I am very grateful to the Norwegian government for financing my studies through the Quota Scholarship Programme. You have made a big difference in my life. iii Abstract The thesis, “Perceptions of journalists on women access, employment and participation in news production” constitutes an assessment of the situation of female journalists in one of Uganda’s print media, The New Vision. The study connects the problematic relationship that women have with news media, both as subjects and sources of news stories as well as their experiences and status as practitioners within the news industries. The study was concerned over what in this profession makes its practice favour men, in spite of the fact that there is a tendency towards gender balance among journalists. The power issues inherent in journalism were crucial because we say that the media has a power of definition, but who holds the power of definition among the editorial staff and why? Hence, both 'media and gender' and the culture of journalism and their gender dimensions formed a field to be explored. The study locates and applies the critical feminist perspectives on women and the media and the process of news production as the basis on which the status of female journalists in Ugandan print media will be analysed. The major question the paper tries to answer is, ‘How do journalists perceive of women access, employment and participation in news production?’ Hence, informant interviews and document reviews on the situation of women in the media were deemed necessary to generate the answer to the research question. Results show increased opportunities for women access to journalism schools, the media as well as a recorded success to top editorial posts. However, the organisational structures and policies have proved a barrier to women promotion, career advancement and pay differentials. There was increased coverage of women issues. Women journalists struggled against being pigeon holed to covering soft issues and ventured into hard news like photojournalism, war and investigative reporting. Unfortunately, women voices as news sources remain marginal while negative portrayal of women in the media persisted. Besides the obvious challenge of women as double workers, women journalists continue to encounter sexual harassment and negative attitudes from their male colleagues. The struggle for equal opportunities in the media workforce should be one that, among other things, fights against patriarchal values and beliefs that perpetuate women subordination, the gendered values embedded within the professional routines, organisational values, policies, economic interests and the politics of ownership. Until all people have equal opportunity in society as a whole, unequal treatment in the news industry will continue. iv Abbreviations AIDS Acquired Immuno Deficient Syndrome ACFODE Action for Development ANC African National Congress API American Press Institute ASNE Association for the American Newspaper Editors CEO Chief Executive Officer GMMP Global Media Monitoring Project HIV Human Immuno Virus IFJ International Federation of Journalists IWMF International Women Media Foundation MP Member of Parliament NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NSSF National Social Security Fund NRM National Resistance Movement PEJ Project for Excellence in Journalism PCCJ Pew Centre for Civic Journalism UBC Uganda Broadcasting Corporation UCC Uganda Communications Commission UK United Kingdom UMWA Uganda Media Women’s Association UN United Nations UNESCO United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation USA United States of America VAT Value Added Tax WEDO Women’s Environmental and Development Organisation WIN Women In News v Table of contents Page Dedication ………………………………………………………………………………………..ii Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………………iii Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………....................iv Abbreviations……………………………………………………………………………………..v Chapter One.............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction. .............................................................................................................. 1 1. 2 Objective(s) of the study ................................................................................................. 2 1.3 Research Questions .......................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Rationale........................................................................................................................... 3 1.5 Theory .............................................................................................................................. 4 1.6 Methodology .................................................................................................................... 4 1.7 The Scope of the research ................................................................................................ 5 1.8 Significance of the study.................................................................................................. 6 1.9 Structure of the thesis....................................................................................................... 6 1.10 Summary ........................................................................................................................ 7 Chapter Two: Literature Review: .......................................................................................... 9 2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 9 2.2 International and specific country research findings........................................................ 9 2.3 Print Media and Women in Uganda............................................................................... 22 2.4 Summary ........................................................................................................................ 27 Chapter Three: Theoretical Perspectives ............................................................................ 29 3:1 Introduction.................................................................................................................... 29 3.2 Feminism........................................................................................................................ 29 3:3 Feminist Media theories................................................................................................. 30 3.3.1 Gender ..................................................................................................................... 32 3.3.2 Media....................................................................................................................... 33 3.3.3 Representations ....................................................................................................... 33 3.3.4 Patriarchy ...............................................................................................................