Uganda: UPDF, media relations grow to mutual trust

It is a universal truism that governments and the media are like poles, which always repel whenever attempts are made to link them. In every country or state, media freedom is measured against the state or government controls and the journalist’s utopia might be where government simply does not exist. This is not only impractical, but unwise.

 

Similarly, since the ‘invention’ of the media correspondent, most governments consider it best not to have media coverage for their actions, or lack of action, which is possible to achieve, but is very unwise. It is of utmost necessity for the highest authorities to promote vibrant checks and balances against state excesses.

The relationship between government and the media, therefore, is a constant source of conflict due to the fact that the media is always trying to discover what the government is ‘hiding’. When newsy matters involve the military, things come to a head because, if government is secretive, then its military is infinitely secretive.

To the civilian, words like tactics, strategy, ruses, surprise and ambush may sound simply glamorous, or out of a thrilling movie. To the military, they will mean the difference between promotion and demotion; glorious victory and ignoble defeat; between life and death. Therefore, the military’s efforts to keep their affairs secret, even if for genuine security concerns, only whet the media’s suspicion that it is losing out on very big stories, which may mean professional glory and money.

The result is that the military tends to see the media as prone to treachery and supportive of the enemy, even when this may not be intentional. But when the media has its nose on a human interest story such as ghost soldiers, dissuading them for any reason confirms connivance of the highest authorities in the corrupt deeds. The media adopts the attitude of a nemesis seeking justice on behalf of the public.

How can one bring the military and the media to see eye-to-eye? On the face of it, this is similar to the time when the lion and the lamb will lie down together, a virtual impossibility! However, there is no sense in failing to try. After all, the media believes that war is too expensive to be left to the generals, while the generals argue that war is too costly to be left to the barrel of the pen.

The Ugandan media may be oblivious of the awesome power that they wield. This bloodless power of the word, which can cause torrents of blood to flow, or prevent it from flowing, is what many Ugandan journalists tend to handle without care.

It is important for the Government, especially the Ministry of Defence, to demonstrate this power to those in whose possession society has placed it. Until journalists are able to predict the possible outcome of a word or sentence in terms of cost to lives and property, not much will be achieved in trying to bring them on board.

Before the French Revolution exploded into full rebellion, large mobs gathered outside a palace in which Count St. Arnaud was resting. The mobs, he was told, wanted to break in. He was suffering a sore throat and as one aide listened, he cursed; Ma sacre toux (my sacred throat), which the aide misheard as Massacrez tous (massacre the lot) and promptly gave the order to the army; thousands died…

In 1982, the then US President, Ronald Reagan, nearly brought on Armageddon by a careless statement. He was preparing to address the nation when sound engineers asked him to say something to check their microphones. He blurted: “I have just signed the declaration outlawing the Soviet Union. We begin bombing in five minutes.”

This joke leaked and the Soviet armed forces went on full military alert, even priming their nuclear arsenal for action. The joke was swiftly diffused and Armageddon was averted.

Those two instances should serve to show that disseminating information without gauging the result can be fatal. The media have the power to retain information that could harm their audience, income and even their country. For the media to acquire this capacity, it must be fully aware of this power and the disasters that loom if it is mishandled. How?

Most Ugandan journalists are almost always too far away from the story and become expert commentators rather than on-spot reporters. This is why no journalist has ever privately ventured into the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) precincts to interview Joseph Kony, yet almost all of them have a story on the LRA insurgency or on Kony himself.

Journalists will talk of wasteful military spending because they do not know how that money is spent. Selective release of information on what is required to keep a battalion for a month peacefully in barracks and out in the field, would educate the media on spending, especially if compared to a civil servant in related circumstances.

It is worth noting that the best correspondents on military matters worldwide are ex-soldiers. These are capable of analysing crucial situations and filing reports which bring out the truth without injuring the mission.

An ex-soldier will be able to know whether a supply mishap was a result of corruption, negligence, error or pure accident and report accordingly.

I know certain media practitioners will resist the idea of being brought on board because they think this will compromise their independence. They must, however, realise that even the UPDF is not particularly anxious to permit soldiers within its ranks, hence the need for each of the two sides to sacrifice something; that the UPDF allows the media to peep into its arsenal as the media risks becoming ‘too sympathetic’ to the UPDF through proximity and exposure.

However, we in the UPDF are glad to report that our media relations have grown from mutual suspicion to mutual trust.

The UPDF could also suggest a course for military correspondents at the National Leadership Institute Kyankwanzi to equip civilian journalists with the skills and the right frame of mind to cover military matters and conflicts.

Such a course is available at Keogg Barracks and Aldershot in England and has proved very useful, not only to journalists, but also to the countries from which they emerge. The critical principle none the less is the need to know.

The writer is the spokesperson of the UPDF

 

-February 6, 2010 by Lt Col. Felix Kulayigye

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Source: www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/459/709368  (accessed on 08.02.10)