ICT Minister, Dr Chris Baryomunsi Hails UCC Performance

There Can’t Be Press Freedom Without Responsibility – Chris Baryomunsi

Posted by: Suubi Anne in Uganda news May 6, 2022

Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister for ICT and National Guidance has said journalists can’t speak of press freedom without talking about responsibility.

He says with this digital revolution, everyone has assumed the role of a journalist. So, there should be a difference between the wannabes and the actual journalists.

“With this digital revolution, we see the emergence of social media and citizen journalism because everyone with a smartphone now turns themselves into a journalist. We have also seen unacceptable abuse of social media. Should we just keep quiet and leave this to happen? We are talking of press freedom but it goes with responsibility,” Baryomunsi said.

Baryomunsi says there should be a clear difference between social media users and the media fraternity.

“When you compare social media with our other media, there is an editor and sub-editor for the latter who goes through the story before it comes out. On social media, someone just sits on their phone and posts whatever they want. It is a challenge to us in government on how to regulate that.”

However, the Minister said media should always be free to do its job without anyone stopping it. He noted that this is the government policy.

He added that anyone who works against contravention to this is done on an individual level. Baryomunsi insisted that no security officer has the right to harass journalists.

“Security has no right whatsoever to harass journalists because media practice is a service like any other,” Baryomunsi said.

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