GENDER MEDIA AWARDS

Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017; 8:00 am 12:00 noon;

Hotel Africana, Kampala (KIBS Restaurant)

PRESS STATEMENT
Uganda Media Womens Association, UMWA, today, hosts the first Gender Media Awards.

Aim: To recognize 2 types of people:- (a) Individual Journalists; and (b) Media Houses who have
demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity in their work as journalists or managers.

Overall Objective: To make Gender Sensitive Reporting a Standard Journalistic Practice in Ugandas
Media.

What is unique about this Award: Besides the individual journalists, a Media House is targeted. Why? To
institutionalize the culture and practice of gender sensitive reporting. Once a practice is institutionalized, it
becomes possible for upcoming even the current employees to adopt that culture.

Entries: Open to both electronic and print media practitioners; The Media Houses were purposely selected
for assessment.

What criteria was applied to select the Best: A trained Gender Monitoring Team, GMMT, applied the
Gender Sensitive Score Card to the stories, whether submitted individually or from the selected Media
Houses.

Entrants: 26 from 17 Media Houses: In total, participants came from: one newspaper (The Observer), eight
radio stations (KFM, CBS, Radio Wa Lira, UBC Radio, Dembe, Salt FM, Radio Pacis Arua, and Mama
FM), and one from Web News (Chimpreports.com). Eleven entries were received from nine television
stations: NBS, Record TV, NTV, Urban TV / Africa News, BBS TV, UBC TV, Wizards Media, and Salt TV.

Media Houses Reviewed were 14: (a) 6 Print Media: Bukedde, Daily Monitor, Kamunye, New Vision, Red
Pepper, and The Observer; (b) 5 Radio Stations: Bukedde (100.5 FM), Capital (91.3 FM), Central
Broadcasting Service CBS (88.8 FM), Radio Simba (97.3 FM), and Tower of Praise TOP (89.6 FM); (c)
3 Television Stations: Bukedde TV, Nile Broadcasting Services (NBS), and Nation Television (NTV)

WINNERS

RADIO
Name Media House Accolade
1 Benjamin Jumbe KFM Best Radio Feature Story
Henry Lematia Radio Pacis, Arua 1st Runner Up, Radio Features Story
2 Diana Kibuuka CBS FM Best Radio Documentary
Sarah Mawerere UBC Radio 1st Runner Up, Radio Documentary

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Individuals:
TELEVISION
Name Media House Accolade
1 Raziah Athman Urban TV Best News Television Story
Justine Nabunya Record TV 1st Runner Up, Television News Story
2 Justine Nabunya Record TV Best Television Feature Story
Ronald Muwanga NTV 1st Runner Up, Television Features Story
3 Suzan Nawonga UBC TV Best Television Documentary
Solomon Serwanja NBS 1st Runner Up, Television Documentary

TELEVISION
Best Television: NBS
Second Best Television: NTV

PRINT MEDIA

The following Newspapers did best in the following categories:

NEWS SUBJECTS

1. Newspaper that came closest to equal representation of men and women as news subjects
Winner: Bukedde 1st Runner Up: New Vision

2. Newspaper that came close to having men and women as news subjects comment on the so hard
topics (politics, economy, science and technology) in equal numbers
Winner: Daily Monitor 1st Runner Up: New Vision

3. Newspaper that came close to having men and women as news subjects comment on the private
(family, social) in equal numbers
Winner: The Observer 1st Runner Up: Daily Monitor

4. Newspaper that came close to equal representation of men and women as news subjects, from
the public sphere
Winner: The Observer 1st Runner Up: Red Pepper

5. Newspaper that came closest to equal representation of men and women as news subjects, in the
domestic / private domain (Associated with women / femininity)
Winner: Red Pepper 1st Runner Up: The Observer

IDENTITY

1. Newspaper that came closest to addressing / identifying news subjects / sources in their own
right (without pegging them of familial relations (Mrs; sister to.; father, wife to , husband
to ., son to ..
Winner: Red Pepper 1st Runner Up: The Observer

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SOURCES: Whose Views? Opinions / Voices? (Direct Quotes)

1. Newspaper that came closest to balancing the number of direct quotes between men and women
Winner: Bukedde 1st Runner Up: The Observer, New Vision, Kamunye (Tie)

2. Newspaper that came closest to equal representation of men and women as sources on politics /
government, the economy, science and technology
Winner: New Vision 1st Runner Up: Bukedde

3. Newspaper that came closest to equal representation of men and women as sources on the
domestic / private domain
Winner: New Vision 1st Runner Up: Daily Monitor

IMAGES / PHOTOGRAPHS

1. Newspaper that came closest to balancing in number of men and women news subjects that were
photographed
Winner: New Vision 1st Runner Up: Bukedde

2. Newspaper that came closest to equal representation of images, between men and women as
news subjects
Winner: New Vision 1st Runner Up: Bukedde

POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES ABOUT WOMEN

1. Newspaper that had the most positive stories about women

Winner: Kamunye 1st Runner Up: New Vision

2. Newspaper that had less stories that reinforce gender stereotypes

Winner: Daily Monitor 1st Runner Up: Red Pepper

3. Newspaper that interrogated status quo, referred to gender equality policies, gave disaggregated
data, stayed away from gender stereotypes sexist, or patronizing language
Winner: The Observer 1st Runner Up: New Vision

4. Newspaper that had most direct quotes from women on stories about women with positive
attributes
Winner: New Vision 1st Runner Up: The Observer

SPACE ALLOCATED (on one page and page)

1. Newspaper that allocated most space to stories about women with positive attributes
Winner: The Observer 1st Runner Up: New Vision

2. Newspaper that allocated less space to stories about women with negative connotations
Winners: Daily Monitor, New Vision, The Observer
1st Runner Up: Bukedde and Red Pepper

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PLACEMENT

1. Newspaper that allocated stories with a central focus on women with positive attributes on
strategic pages (front and odd pages)
Winner: The Observer 1st Runner Up: Daily Monitor

DELIVERY OF NEWS: WHICH GENDER AUTHORED, WHICH OR HOW MUCH?

1. Newspaper that came closest to assigning the same number of female and male reporters
Winner: New Vision 1st Runner Up: The Observer

2. Newspaper that came closest to covering both female and male news subjects equally
Winner: Daily Monitor 1st Runner Up: Bukedde

3. Newspaper whose female reporters came close to covering men and women equally was
Winner: Daily Monitor 1st Runner Up: Bukedde 2nd Runner Up: Red Pepper

4. Newspaper which had male news subjects covered mostly by female reporters was
Winner: Kamunye 1st Runner Up: The Observer 2nd Runner Up: Red Pepper

5. Newspaper which had female news subjects covered mostly by male reporters was
Winner: Bukedde 1st Runner Up: Kamunye 2nd Runner Up: Red Pepper

6. Newspaper that came closest for male reporters to balancing direct quotes of both female and
male news subjects
Winner: Bukedde 1st Runner Up: The Observer, New Vision, Kamunye

7. Newspaper that came closest for female reporters balancing in quoting female and the male
subjects
Winner: Kamunye 1st Runner Up: The Observer 2nd Runner Up: Daily Monitor

8. Newspaper that came closest to balancing female and male reporters quoting both genders as
news subjects was
Winner: Bukedde 1st Runner Up: Daily Monitor 2nd Runner Up: Kamunye

9. Newspaper with the highest number of males reporting stories with a direct bearing on women
(positive attributes)
Winner: New Vision 1st Runner Up: Daily Monitor 2nd Runner Up: The Observer

10. Newspaper with the highest number of females reporting stories with a direct bearing on women
(positive attributes)
Winner: Daily Monitor 1st Runner Up: Kamunye 2nd Runner Up: Bukedde

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 THE SUMMARY

NEWSPAPERS WON IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

Bukedde Newspaper
For being Best in:
1. Equal Representation of Men and Women as News Subjects. (Overall).
2. Capturing Equal Number of Direct Quotes from Men and Women.
3. Equal Representation of Direct Quotes by Male Reporters.
4. Having Female News Subjects Covered Most, by Male Reporters.

Daily Monitor
For being Best in:
1. Having both Female and Male News Subjects equally Commenting on Hard Topics.
2. Having both Male and Female Reporters equally Covering Both Genders.
3. Less Stories that Reinforce Gender Stereotypes.
4. The Highest Number of Female Reporters Covering Males and Females, Equally.
5. The Highest Number of Female Reporters, reporting stories on Women With Positive Attributes.

Kamunye Newspaper
For being Best in:
1. In Having the Highest Number of Stories about Women.
2. Having the Most Female Reporters Balancing Quotes from Men and Women.
3. Having the Most Female Reporters Covering Male News Subjects.

New Vision
For being Best in:
1. Gender Balance in Sourcing on the Public Sphere.
2. Gender Balance in Sourcing on the Domestic Sphere.
3. Gender Balance in Publishing Images of the News Subjects.
4. Gender Balance in Number of Images / Photographs Published.
5. Having the Most Direct Quotes from Women on Stories about Women with Positive Attributes.
6. Assigning the Same Number of Females and Males.
7. With the Highest Number of Male Reporters Covering Stories about Women with Positive Attributes.

Red Pepper
For being Best in:
1. Having both Men and Women (News Subjects) equally represented in Domestic Issues.
2. Presenting News Subjects and Sources in their Own Right.

The Observer
For being Best in:
1. Having both Men and Women (as News Subjects) equally commenting on the Domestic Issues.
2. Having both Men and Women (as News Subjects) equally commenting on the Public Sphere.
3. In Referring to Pro-Gender and Equal Rights / Policies.
4. Allocating the Most Space to Stories about Women with Positive Attributes.
5. In Strategically Positioning Stories about Women with Positive Attributes.
6. Interrogating the status quo.

OVERALL PERFORMANCE FOR NEWSPAPERS

Best Newspaper: The Observer
Second Best Newspaper: New Vision
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LIMITATIONS

1. Interpretation of texts and specific words / phrases, as well as of images (both still and motion)
varies from one individual to another. To minimize this, a four-day refresher training was organized for
the GMMT. The team was not only exposed to the theoretical but also practical aspects of gender and
media research methodologies.
2. Funding Gaps affected: Information from a wider spectrum that could have enriched the Awards, and
what they stand for, was missed out; E.g. Only 6 out of over 15 newspapers were reviewed. Only
Mondays were reviewed; Radio and television content which impact much more on the public was
limited to a few programs for review; and Social media that has taken Uganda by storm, was
apparently not part of this study.
3. The survey exercise took a relatively shorter period than is normally associated with comparative
studies that call for longer periods of observation and analysis, to reach more conclusive deductions.
4. Very good intentioned, AGMA-U did not receive adequate publicity.

Note: This study wholly depended on the goodwill of staff, and volunteers of UMWA. There was no
external funding received for this study: Reviewing content by media houses or individual submissions.

OUR OBSERVATIONS / CONCLUSIONS

There is huge knowledge gap about gender and media among practitioners. Gender sensitive reporting
is highly mistaken for merely writing stories about women.
Media in Uganda is highly skewed in favour of the male gender; the gender gap being 70 / 80 vis a vis
20 / 25; (News subjects / sources / images / or who delivered the content; Positioning / Placement;
Amount of Space; and Portrayal / Language).
The stories are highly driven by negative beliefs and gender stereotypes.
The power of the media cannot be overemphasized which is why, it should be redirected to the
promotion of positive progress.
AGMA-U is timely to contribute to such processes.
The study results may not be conclusive but a starting point!

Uganda Media Womens Association, UMWA

Plot 226, Kisaasi Bukoto
P.O. Box 7263, Kampala
Email: info@umwamamafm.co.ug / umwa@infocom.co.ug
Tel: 0772 469 363 / 0772 366 695 / 0393 113 848
Website: www.umwamamafm.co.ug
f: www.facebook.com/ugumwa
t: @UMWAandMamaFM