By David Okema
Women activists have asked radio stations in northern Uganda to stop playing songs which disrespect women.
The women said this on Friday last week during a training on how to use the media to build and promote peace in northern Uganda.
“I am tired of listening songs which show disrespect for women,’’ said Joyce Laker, a regular panelists on radio stations in Gulu. She was one of the participants at the training.
Laker advised radio stations not to play songs like ‘‘Ting Tyeni Malo’’ loosely translated as ‘‘Raise your legs up’’—a song with sexual connotations. She also cited ‘‘Lutela mogo opoto kwir’’ (leaders who failed in elections)—a song which mocks leaders who failed in the parliamentary and local government elections.
The training at Kakanyero hotel was organized by the Northern Uganda Media Club (NUMEC) with funding from the USAID- SAFE, a project which supports peace building, access to justice and promotes equity. The training aimed at equipping media users (radio panelists, callers on radio shows and local leaders ) on how to use media in a conflict sensitive manner.
Speaking at the same training, Rosalba Oywa, a panelist on the ‘‘Teyat’’ on Mega FM and activist also criticised radio stations for promoting stereotypes against women. Oywa said the media also has to recognise the role of women in peace building in northern Uganda.
Stephen Balmoi, a talk show moderator at Mega FM put part of the blame on the misuse of radio to callers on radio shows who he said do not respect the editorial and ethical policies of radio stations like Mega FM. He said politicians are the most difficult to moderate on radio shows.
‘‘It is very challenging to host politicians because they come with the attitude of knowing more,’’ he said. He shared an experience in which a politician revealed on air what he said was the HIV status of an opponent who had citicised him.
‘‘By the time I wanted to put him off, he had already uttered the words. It was so fast,’’ Balmoi told participants at the training.
Balmoi urged people who use radio—callers and guests to understand the editorial policies and ethical guidelines of the radio stations to help inform them how to use media to educate, inform and entertain the general public.
Mugisha John Chris, LCV councilor Laguti Sub County in Pader district blamed some radio moderators and presenters for allowing callers to use abusive language on the radio.
3 Comments
To the moderators, what you should have done in the case of eg, the politician who had named his/her opponent HIV status, was to tell him/her off that we don’t deal with hear and say rumourmongers on air shows and warn the loose mouth that he/she is unprofessional and a bad loser to create such nonsense to try to humiliate opponent. And to tell him/her and others that the station will not tolerate such claims and behaviour, then cut that person off. And alert the listeners that what was mentioned was a nonses dirty politics to try to demoralised the opponent which we don’t encourage in our shows also apologise to the victim publicly.
Secondly you must not allow audience to access live show with their quest without moderation first. Their quest must be received by a phoneline operator at the radio station first, then he or she passes the query in a professional manner after editing it to a radio presenter. With this system you will be in control without embarrassment.
Most countries use “broadcast delay” also known as “profanity delay” or “seven-second delay” for all live broadcasts. It is not difficult to implement and allows the station to omit seven seconds of material from being broadcast to the public. The ordinary listeners won’t notice the delay.
Thank you Ken profanity delay is what they need if they can implement. Maybe the moderators themselves also need some kind of facilitation and professional training. Anyway I hope they will learn thru their mistakes.