Zawedde Urges Media, Government to Unite Against Misinformation

What the report says

Uganda’s ICT Permanent Secretary, Dr Aminah Zawedde, has urged stronger coordination between government, media houses and regulators to confront misinformation, disinformation and hate speech. Nile Post reported that she delivered the message at the World News Day editors’ breakfast meeting in Kampala, held under the theme “Trust, Truth and the Future of News in Uganda.”

Zawedde, who spoke on behalf of State Minister for ICT and National Guidance Alioni Yorke Odria, said the fast pace of digital publishing is making it harder to separate verified information from false claims. She argued that the changing media environment is blurring traditional ideas of who qualifies as a journalist and what should be subject to regulation, and called for stakeholders to agree on clearer definitions and practical rules.

She also said regulators need better tools to monitor the expanding online space, while stressing that responsibility for protecting the information environment extends to media professionals and the public. Zawedde warned that false reporting can affect Uganda’s reputation, investment prospects and daily livelihoods, and said young people should be a priority for media and digital literacy efforts.

As broader context, misinformation has become a major policy issue across many countries as social media and messaging platforms speed up the spread of unverified claims. Nile Post said Zawedde urged participants to leave the meeting with short-, medium- and long-term solutions to reduce harm from misleading content.