
Aaron Ainomugisha. Uganda has increasingly become a priority for foreign investors, superpowers and other foreign players undertaking different projects due to different favorable diplomatic and international factors.
The 93,065 sq mi landlocked country is now a key player in the regional and international affairs, as superpowers like China, Russia, America and others realize their interests.
China currently controls big projects in transport and communication, ICT, education, health, energy, and other sectors, suffocating room for Russia, America and other superpowers to smoothly realize their interests in Uganda.
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What role do Ugandan journalists play at this critical moment to shine a torch on these less-covered diplomatic affairs, and shaping public opinion?
While addressing journalists at the African Centre for Media Excellence-ACME offices in Kampala on Thursday, August 22, 2024, Uganda’s Deputy Ambassador to Khartoum Sudan, H.E Dickson Ogwang expressed concern over the escalating negative media reports about Uganda’s diplomatic relations with countries like China, yet there are a lot of positives not being covered by the media.
Ambassador Ogwangi argued that Uganda’s image is being undermined by negative media coverage, as he fervently expressed his support for the growing Uganda-China relations.
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He unpacked his presentation on “Understanding Uganda’s Foreign Policy and Diplomatic Relations in the Era of Global Uncertainty; Navigating the Complexities of International Relations in a Rapidly Changing World’’ , where he also emphasized that Ugandan journalists should be patriotic, and value Uganda’s national and foreign interests and policy.
“The media reports what it wants. CSOs and media should help the government to report about foreign policy. As Journalists, you should open your eyes to understand the interests of the country,” he explained.
“When you attack the ministers or other government officials, you have attacked the President. You scare away investors and tourists,” he added.
A group of strategically selected journalists from different parts of the country have concluded their training in Reporting on Diplomacy, Foreign Malign Influence, Foreign Policy and International Relations at ACME offices.
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More Takeaways
@HaggaiMatsiko from @AgoraCFR: There is a big debate whether journalists should engage in activism or take sides. Both journalism and activism are based on evidence. Your compass should be truth https://x.com/RiseNewsUganda/status/1827284415094948257
Dr. Gerald Walulya – @Makerere University Department of Journalism & Communication on why @AgoraCFR and other social media activism players matter: Not very many people are online, but the calibre of people online are decision makers https://x.com/RiseNewsUganda/status/1828047283834749009
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