Uganda licenses journalists
The Ugandan government plans to implement a licensing scheme for journalists, ostensibly to restrict the profession to those with tertiary degrees. The Minister for Information warns that sedition laws will be “enforced strongly”.
Minister of State for Information Basoga Nsadhu said 2003 is the year for implementing the Press and Journalism Statute, which among other things requires journalists to have a degree in mass communication/journalism, or a degree in another discipline with a journalism diploma.He said only honorary members of the profession, recognised as such by the National Institute of Journalists of Uganda (NIJU) due to their long time of service, would be spared.
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Nsadhu warned media houses about the existing media laws like that of sedition and the Anti-Terrorism Act, which he said would be enforced strongly this year.
He said the implementation of the laws is not meant to suffocate the media but to protect the profession against “masqueraders”.
– AllAfrica, Govt Moves To Vet Journalists.