The latest controversy involving UCC terminating NBS Television broadcasting licence over ‘fake news’ is actually fake news! A letter dated 19th June 2018, allegedly from UCC to NBS Television Management has made rounds on different social media platforms.
The letter reads in part;
“Following numerous concerns from the public over mouse of your broadcasting portals to relay fake and unfounded breaking news coupled with unprofessional live broadcasts without protecting eye witnesses, the commission will terminate your broadcasting licence not later than today pending intensive investigations.”
This patently absurd story has been swiftly rejected by Uganda Communications Commission as fake news. The commission took to its Twitter account and said;
The alleged suspension of @nbstv license is #Fakenews kindly disregard. pic.twitter.com/GjEuU1Q4S5
— UCC (@UCC_Official) June 19, 2018
What is Fake News?
Fake news is a type of yellow journalism or propaganda that consists of deliberate misinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional print and broadcast news media or online social media.
This false information is mainly distributed by social media, but is periodically circulated through mainstream media. This news is written and published with the intent to mislead in order to damage an agency, entity, or person, and/or gain financially or politically, often using sensationalist, dishonest, or outright fabricated headlines to increase readership, online sharing, and Internet click revenue.
UCC Vs Fake News.
The commission has been battling with fake news across all media platforms. While the commission calls it daily regulatory business, commentators think UCC is siding with the sitting government. The battle against lugambo prompted UCC to illegalise unregulated communication portals like “Bizindalo” or loud speakers. The commission also instructed all Ugandan blogs and YouTube channels to register or otherwise have their access blocked. Many Internet surfers end up looking like idiots when they pass along some interesting but false story posted by an otherwise reliable friend. The commission wants to see an end to this.
UCC and the government’s battle to curb ‘Fake News’ has been well-documented. However, the incessant attacks on news organizations and apparent contempt for free speech is alarming. Terms like ‘Kelere’, ‘lugambo’, and ‘fake-news’ have been employed to cast doubt on media reports critical to Government administration. However, some stories are waved off without providing any evidence to support their case that the reports were untrue.
