HRNJ-Uganda launches its 12th Press Freedom Index Report 2020 titled “RESILIENCE

By Correspondent 

HRNJ-Uganda launched its 12th Press Freedom Index Report 2020 titled “RESILIENCE, Media In The Face of COVID-19 and Elections” which outlines the state of media freedom in Uganda in the year 2020.

The report documented a total of 174 cases of violations and abuses, nine cases higher than the previous year 2019 which saw 165 cases, and eleven more than those reported in 2018 which stood at 163 cases.

The increase of 9 cases may appear minimal, however, an analysis of the statistics points to disturbing trends, especially in the gravity of violations perpetrated by security organisations against journalists.

The Uganda Police has for the twelfth year emerged as the leading violator of press freedom in Uganda. Approximately 104 cases out of 174 violations and abuses were recorded to having been caused by members of the Uganda Police and Uganda People’s Defence Forces came in second place violations of rights and freedom of journalists and media houses with a total of 31 violations.