John Matovu Aminah Zawedde Das Pamela and Herbert Ruhunde.pdf

62 Strengthening the Role of ICT in Development Volume VIII
revenue, is threatening the fi nancial well-being -- even the very existence -- of many
newspapers, including some of the oldest established and respected among them.
Sparks [2006] argues that this trend is not yet being fully felt here in Africa
where the business side of the Internet has not yet taken off as fully as it has in
the developed world. But the migration of readers is already happening, and some
early consequences are already being felt.
One of the solutions according to [Sparks 2006] is to diversify, diversify, into
the profi table new electronic sectors of the media, into television and cellphones
and the Internet, in order to support the print media and maintain their editorial
quality which is vital for their long-term survival and the democratic role they
need to play.
The hotly debated emergence of multimedia newsrooms [Stone and Bierhoff,
2002; Deuze 2004] or pro-active diversity awareness policies [Campbell, 1998;
Bealor Hines 2001; Rich, 2005] in media organizations can be seen as good
examples of changes and challenges in journalistic practice. Our argument is based
on the assumption that the global picture of journalism is constantly and perhaps
exponentially changing to such an extent that one has to analyze and discuss the
main attributes of such (potential) changes in order to successfully study, describe
and explain contemporary journalism.
Over the past decade or so, fundamental changes have taken place and continue
to take place in broadcast media houses.
Looking at it critically, the news output of many broadcasters has expanded
rapidly since the early 1990s, and covers a wide range of media platforms from
television and radio to tele-text, web and mobile phones. Subsequently, broadcasters
have undergone changes in the organization and practices of production. This
is perhaps most evident with regard to production for multiple platforms in an
integrated media organization.
To various degrees production for television and radio has been integrated with
production for digital media. Radio and television reporters who used to exist in
separate worlds, are now working together, cooperating across media boundaries.
The number of reporters who are able to work for both television and radio is
increasing. The platforms of radio and television have been converging in terms
of production processes, and later web and other platforms such as mobile phones
have been added [Erdal 2007]. In the wake of all these developments, specifi c
research issues arise. Related to changing professional practices, questions for
example of how reporters relate to their editors need to be answered. How is
production for multiple media platforms conceptualized within the organization?
How are news items made for and published across different media platforms?
Critics in Uganda have commented on the declining quality of journalism
manifested in increased factual and other errors as well as in the choice and
placement of content. Increased commercialization of media houses and the
struggle to meet bottom lines has led to the downsizing of editorial departments
compromising the traditional stringent gate-keeping processes.