Browsing by Author "Namusoga, Sara"

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The Framing of Homosexuality by Two Ugandan Newspapers: An Analysis of New Vision and Daily Monitor
(Centre for Communication, Media and Society University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2017-01) Namusoga, Sara
It is the general view that homosexuality is an issue that both society and the media find controversial. In Uganda, press reports mostly echo the negative attitudes towards homosexuality as demonstrated by the studies about the 2009 anti-homosexuality bill. This thesis addressed itself to the framing of homosexuality in the two Ugandan newspapers of New Vision and Daily Monitor during the period 2007-2011. The purpose of the thesis was to investigate the frames that the two media houses apply when they cover homosexuality issues, as well as to examine the changes and/or consistencies in reporting patterns during this time. The study period encompassed two years prior to the introduction of the 2009 Anti-homosexuality bill, the year of the introduction of the bill, and two year after the introduction of the bill. Specifically, the thesis investigated the frames, tone, story formats, story placement and the sources. A content analysis of New Vision and Daily Monitor was undertaken, and included all items/articles about homosexuality during this period. Framing theory informed this study. The key results indicate that from 2007-2011, the two newspapers rely on the human rights frame, followed by the religion frame, to cover homosexuality. As such, homosexuality is treated was a rights and morality issue, which is consistent with findings from studies in other parts of the world. A negative attitude by the two newspapers towards homosexuality was also observed. It also emerged that the majority of stories were hard news stories, implying that homosexuality issues are covered as routine stories with marginal use of more detailed formats such as features and interviews. Furthermore, the Ugandan perspective was promoted through the reliance on Ugandan sources vis-à-vis foreign sources, by both newspapers. Moreover, the issue was treated as an elite issue, given that most stories were placed in the national pages. By placing the most stories on the national pages, the news reports promoted the elite views and downplayed the views from the peripheral, which are carried in the regional pages. Although some changes were observed in the reporting patterns, the overall observation was that although the two newspapers do not necessarily ignore homosexuality, their coverage was biased and homosexuality was treated negatively regardless of the topic or context. The thesis concluded that the nature of reporting reflected the dominant views of the Ugandan society, which are negative towards homosexuality, making it challenging for homosexuals and their supporters to make their views known through these two media houses, and limiting the views that the audiences have about homosexuality. It is proposed, however, that hope lies in the view that since the political position on homosexuality (especially that of the president) has changed on several occasions, it is only a matter of time before the public view will change and such change reflected in media reports.
Preparing for the Information Society: a critical analysis of Uganda’s Broadcast Policy in light of the principles of the WSIS
(2006-06) Namusoga, Sara
This study analyses Uganda’s 2004 Broadcast Policy in light of the WSIS principles in order to establish whether the policy enables radio to build an inclusive and people-centred Information Society, and if so, in what ways it does this. The study specifically focuses on radio, which it views as the dominant medium in Uganda, and therefore the medium with the greatest potential to build a sustainable Information Society in the country. The study is informed by media policy theories as well as Information Society theories. It is argued that although most definitions of the Information Society consider the newer ICTs, especially the Internet, as the key drivers in the Information Society, most developing countries like Uganda are far from reaching the desired level of computer and Internet access as proposed by some Information Society theorists. Instead, most people in Uganda rely heavily on older ICTs, especially radio, for information about key issues in their daily lives. Inevitably, radio ends up being a key player in building the Information Society in these countries. The study, therefore, finds most of the common Information Society theories lacking and adopts the WSIS definition, which is more relevant to Uganda’s situation. This study also maintains that if radio is to be a key player in building an inclusive and people-centred Information Society in Uganda, the 2004 Broadcast Policy has to create that enabling environment, by, for example, promoting public service radio through local content programming, and diversifying radio ownership. The data for this study was obtained using the qualitative research approach, and specifically the research tools of document analysis and individual in-depth interviews. The findings indicate that the policy’s emphasis is on building a broadcast sector that addresses the public’s interests through local content programming and provision of diversified media services. However, the study also found that the policy is vague on some very crucial aspects, which would benefit the public, namely, local content quotas and the independence of the public service broadcaster.