RISE NEWS UGANDA NETWORK is a local media network based in western Uganda, that also feeds other on air and online outlets locally and nationally, focusing on in-depth reporting about the unreported/underreported issues in the community https://x.com/RiseNewsUganda/status/1736696718727541209?s=20.
Participating in the International Press Institute-IPI’s Local News Accelerator programme 2023 has given us a better understanding about local news, local media, local communities, sustainability, media entrepreneurship, growth and other issues, and how they relate with different topics at national and international levels.
“Media decisions and handling of different topics should cater for everyone, and properly resonate with the local communities, especially issues concerning vulnerable or marginalized communities like the LGBTQIA+ people in Uganda, Africa and other parts of the world. The art of telling local stories or handling of local news should rotate around local communities. Local and International Media cannot be impactful without being people-centred. Participating in IPI’s Local News Accelerator programme was really timely for our team. We are already implementing what we have been learning,” Aaron Ainomugisha, team leader Rise News Uganda Network explains.
With Rise News Uganda Network currently doing in-depth stories about sexual minorities/LGBTQIA+ people’s plight in the wake of Uganda’s anti-homosexuality act 2023, climate change and its effects, corruption and accountability gaps, politics, wildlife, illicit financing, poor service delivery, one health, religious extremism, human rights/freedom & justice, solution journalism, and other topics, it matters a lot to listen to the audience, engage them and maintain a healthy relationship with them.
“I now understand that we should not assume that the public understands everything about news. Whether as information or as business model. They think it’s free and they want their opinion prioritized. But as an organization, we have to balance revenue and serving the public,” Aggrey Twesigye, a team member at Rise News Uganda Network.
“The online and on air news presence must be felt, but with local communities and local news at the centre. What I liked most about this programme, it’s like the organizers and trainers knew exactly what is happening in Uganda. They addressed the real issues, and this project will help us to grow. I will do more local stories about gender and gender-based violence issues,” Kayiira Coslin, a member of Rise News Uganda Network.
ABOUT IPI’S LOCAL NEWS ACCELERATOR: This is a three-month programme where participants and their media organization selected from different parts of the build the skills to develop a sustainable media business, from September to December 2023. The accelerator offers selected outlets the tools and guidance to learn how to reach audiences and empower your teams to build habits to grow into an engaged, responsive media brand.
ABOUT IPI: International Press Institute-IPI is a global organization with headquarters in Vienna, Austria dedicated to the promotion and protection of press freedom and the improvement of journalism practices. The institution was founded by 34 editors from 15 countries at Columbia University in October, 1950, and has members in over 120 countries as of 2021.
RISE NEWS UGANDA NETWORK was among those selected by the jury – out of 148 applications from 55 countries worldwide. Rise News Uganda also works closely with RISE for Community and Media Empowerment-Uganda, Western Uganda Media Centre-WUMEC UGANDA and other networks to promote community and media empowerment, rights, freedoms and sustainability https://x.com/RiseNewsUganda/status/1735377439340024057?s=20.
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