Editors call for safer newsrooms after sexual harassment report

What the report says

Editors and media leaders in Uganda are renewing calls for safer newsrooms after a new harassment survey found that four in 10 media workers had experienced sexual harassment. The findings were highlighted at the Fourth Uganda Editors’ Convention, which ended in Jinja on August 1 after bringing together editors, media managers, senior journalists, regulators and development partners.

According to Nile Post, the convention focused on newsroom sustainability, journalists’ welfare and workplace protections, alongside the pressures facing traditional media as digital platforms reshape how audiences consume news. Uganda Editors’ Guild president Daniel Kalinaki urged media leaders to support struggling journalists, especially those outside major urban areas, and said better welfare measures such as health insurance and improved working conditions would strengthen both staff and institutions.

The report on sexual harassment was presented by WAN-IFRA Women in News Uganda Chapter. It drew on a broader 2025 global study involving more than 2,800 media professionals, with 205 respondents from Uganda. The report said harassment remained widespread despite a decline from the country’s 2020 survey, and that women were more affected by verbal, physical and online abuse. Presenters and participants said stronger reporting systems, workplace policies and institutional safeguards were needed.

The convention also ended with commitments from media owners, editors and newsroom managers to improve working conditions, support innovation and build more sustainable media organisations. Minister Justine Kasule Lumumba, who closed the event, called on journalists to uphold professional standards while adapting to the digital era.