Media-Only Election Campaigns Likely To Leave Many Ugandans Under-informed- Afrobarometer

BY OUR REPORTER

KAMPALA, Uganda|SHIFTMEDIA|As Ugandans get prepared for the 2021 “scientific” general elections, the majority still remain under-informed a new analysis of the Afro Barometer survey data has indicated.

The Media-only election campaigns was proposed by the Uganda Electoral Commission to avoid mass rallies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Releasing the data survey at Hotel Africana in Kampala on Friday, Francis Kibirigi the Co- National Investigator said the survey was conducted in 36 districts between 30th September and 31st October where 1,200 adult Ugandans were interviewed.

Kibirige said the survey results were delayed to be released due to the COVID 19 pandemic.

“Though recent increases in media penetration into the countryside and in local language shows the feasibility of media-only campaigns, the Afrobarometer survey data shows that the proportion of Ugandans who can access and make use of various media channels remains relatively low and remains concentrated among certain demographics, such as the young,” said Kibirige. He said that the media-only campaigns may thus disadvantage more women than men, and many poorer, less educated, older, and rural citizens.

He said that the findings make a strong case for the government to ensure access to media that guarantees equitable access and free engagement between candidates and members of the public.

Reacting to the findings, Charity Ahimbisibwe the Executive Director Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda said the findings don’t favor the bulk of the voters who are women, the less educated, and poor. “We have 17.5 million registered voters in Uganda and majority are women, the less educated and poorer, these findings indicate that these groups will be left out and that infringes on article 59 of the constitution that gives them a right to vote,” she said adding:  “We shall challenge these actions in courts of law.”

Bernard Tabaire, another panelist from the African Center for Media Excellence (ACME) noted that the issues of scientific campaigns may be detrimental so some politicians. “If you are a media owner and politician, it will be very hard to allow your opponent hosted on your radio or TV station,” he said.

Key findings

■Access to communications devices: Nearly nine in 10 Ugandan households (87%) have a mobile phone, and eight in 10 (79%) have a radio set. Far fewer have a TV set (29%) and a computer (8%).

■Smartphone ownership and access to the Internet: Only a quarter (26%) of Ugandans own a mobile phone that can connect to the Internet. Ownership of smartphones is highest among urban residents, men, younger citizens, those with post-primary education, and residents in Central and Eastern regions.

■Cell phone network service reach: Cell phone service network coverage reaches 86% of the sampled communities.

■Access to media: While four out of five Ugandans have access to a radio and regularly get radio news, only minorities have access to television, a computer, or a smartphone. These proportions are particularly small in rural and poorer communities.

■Three-fourths of citizens “never” get news from the Internet and social media.

■Fair media coverage of campaigns: Only a minority of Ugandans think the media often or always provided fair coverage of all candidates in the last election.

Suitability of media-only campaigns: Without interventions to ensure equitable media space and wider citizen access, both candidates and voters are likely to face challenges in connecting in a media-only campaign

■Freedom from censorship: Large majorities support the media’s freedom to publish without government control (70%) and its role in investigating and reporting on government mistakes and corruption (79%).

■Freedom of expression and sharing of news: A majority (56%) support unrestricted public access to the Internet. Only minorities are opposed to government restrictions on sharing information that criticizes or insults the president (29%) or is false (17%), as well as on hate speech (22%).

■Social media and its effects: Most Ugandans who have heard of social media say it makes people more informed about current events and helps them have more impact on political process. But most also say social media makes people more likely to believe false news and more intolerant of those who have different political opinions.

■Electricity grid coverage: The national electricity grid reaches half (49%) of the communities sampled, but only one-quarter (26%) of households are connected. More than one-third (38%) of households have electricity from sources other than the national grid.

■Demographic differences in access: Connection to the national electricity grid is far more common among urban (67%) than rural (13%) households. Young respondents and more educated citizens are more likely to report connections to the national grid. Cell phone service is more common in urban areas (98%, vs. 82% in rural areas) and least common in Northern Uganda (72%).

Use of media source for news: Most Ugandans (80%) get news “every day” or “a few times a week” from the radio. Fewer get news regularly from television (31%), newspapers (12%), the Internet (13%), and social media (14%).

Growth in news media use: Compared to 2015, the proportion of regular news consumers has grown somewhat for radio (+4 percentage points), television (+10), Internet (+4), and social media (+6), while newspaper readership has remained fairly stable.

■Mobile phone and Internet use: Eight in 10 adult Ugandans (81%) say they use a mobile phone “every day” or “a few times a week,” while 15% regularly use the Internet. Compared to 2015, these proportions have grown by 13 percentage points for mobile phones and by 5 points for the Internet.

• Fair media coverage: Fewer than four in 10 Ugandans (37%) say the media often or always provided fair coverage in the last national election campaign, down from 52% in the 2015 survey.
• Trust in the media: In 2015 (the last time this question was asked), three-fourths of Ugandans trusted the media “a lot” (35%) or “somewhat” (40%). Trust levels were similar across key demographic groups.

What is Afrobarometer

A pan-African, non-partisan, non-profit research network that measures citizen attitudes on democracy and governance, the economy, civil society, and other topics.

Started in 12 African countries in 1999. Round 8 surveys in 2019/2020 are planned in at least 35 countries.

Goal: To give the public a voice in policymaking by providing high-quality public opinion data to policymakers, policy advocates, civil society organizations, academics, news media, donors and investors, and ordinary Africans.

A national partner in each country conducts the survey. In Uganda, the Afrobarometer Round 8 survey was conducted by Hatchile Consult.