THERE WILL BE INK - Initiative for Policy Dialogue

“sufficient information” about developments in the industry. 143 Another journalist at a daily paperbelieves extractives reporters have sufficient freedom and ability to “avoid or mitigate” the “negativeimpacts” of oil by educating the public. 144 The consensus among those interviewed is that the mediaare doing a good job covering oil to the extent that the financial resources and specializedknowledge necessary to do so exist, but that more funding and knowledge would greatly increase thequality of coverage.Content AnalysisThe 2006 discovery of oil in Lake Albert in the Hoima district of southwestern Uganda set off aflurry of interest across the country, which has been reflected in the media. Given the oil industry’srecent emergence in Uganda, print media coverage thus far seems relatively good, with attentionbeing paid to details of agreements and articles pushing for greater transparency. Most coveragedoes not heavily vet the oil companies themselves, perhaps reflecting the country’s hopes that theydeliver an economic transformation. Overall, the Ugandan media seems to be adjusting, albeitslowly, to Uganda’s impending economic changes.Public relations stories concerning Tullow Oil and Heritage Oil and Gas, the two oil companiesoperating in Hoima, have already begun to bubble up in the press, such as a story on Tullow’ssponsorship of a team of rugby-playing orphans touring the UK (“Tullow Oil to Send 13 Kids toUK” 145 ). Such articles are still relatively few in number, though they will likely increase as Tullow andHeritage establish themselves in Uganda.For now, the Ugandan print media seems to be focusing primarily on the prospects for theirnewfound wealth. Many articles have focused on still-unpublished details of oil agreements betweenthe government and the oil companies. Interestingly, the state-owned New Vision has been at theforefront of the media’s efforts to push for greater transparency in these agreements. A recent articlein the New Vision (“Oil Sharing Deal Still Clothed in Secrecy” 146 ) is tough on the government for notbeing more transparent: “Although the ministry of energy and mineral development asserts that thecountry will receive 70 percent of all revenue generated during the oil production period, theassertions cannot be verified independently because the agreements have never been released to thepublic.” A recent editorial in the New Vision described the negative impacts of oil in Nigeria andurged Uganda’s administration to “begin with utmost transparency – let people see and know whatexactly is going on, involve local leaders in the planning on environmental assessments,environmental protection, oil-revenue sharing, and attendant development for locals when theproject begin to yield oil.” 147Other articles educate the public about the importance of transparency and accountability in theextractive industries, as in this except from a recent Sunday Monitor article (“Lack of TransparencyMay Threaten Uganda’s Future as an Oil-Producer” 148 ):143 Ugandan Interviewee #10. 2009. Interview by Rebekah Heacock. Kampala, Uganda, January 8.144 Ugandan Interviewee #16. 2009. Interview by Rebekah Heacock. Kampala, Uganda, January 12.145 Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo, “Tullow Oil to Send 13 Kids to UK,” Daily Monitor, September 26, 2008.146 Ibrahim Kasita, “Oil Sharing Deal Still Clothed in Secrecy,” New Vision, December 10, 2008.147 Opio Oloya, “Uganda: Use New Oil Resources to Improve Lives of Citizens,” New Vision, February 29, 2009,http://allafrica.com/stories/200902260157.html.148 Elizabeth Palchik Allen, “Lack of transparency may threaten Uganda’s future as an oil-producer,” Daily Monitor,September 14, 2008,– 59 –