Veteran journalists urged to prepare early for retirement

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Media practitioners have been urged to begin early retirement preparations amid growing concerns over poor pay and a lack of social security planning within the profession.

The call was made during the belated celebration of the World Press Freedom Day organized by the Northern Uganda Media Club (NUMEC) on Monday in Gulu City.

Speaking as a keynote speaker at the event, Peter Labeja, then Manager of Radio Rupiny, emphasized the importance of long-term financial planning for journalists, a profession often characterized by unstable contracts, low pay, and minimal pension contributions.

Labeja explained that because of their love for the profession, some journalists start practicing the profession before completing their studies and end up being in disguised employment.

Under disguised employment, a worker is misclassified as a contractor or freelancer, and yet they perform and are treated as a full-time employee, but without benefits like paid leave, minimum wage protections and social security contributions.

Labeja advised the journalists to start preparing for their retirement by multitasking, and optimally using their gadgets such as cameras to do private work because the profession does not pay well.

Labeja’s message comes amid increasing cases of retired journalists across Uganda facing financial hardship due to the absence of structured retirement benefits in many media houses.

Walter Uryek-Wun, the Principal Assistant Secretary at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital encouraged media practitioners in Gulu City to show professionalism in their day-to-day journalism.

Uryek-Wun stressed that journalism strives for truth, adding that the outcome of every piece of information that goes on air, online, and the newspapers must be accurate since they have ripple effects.

“Let us mind what we say, the outcome of what we say is very important. We are either going to break the side we are trying to serve, or we will break the big house that we are representing and of course, break yourself, because people will do it for you…,” Uryek-Wun said.

Fiona Opoka, the Principal Human Rights Officer, Gulu Regional Office however noted that in the face of the increasing flow of social media information, journalists must professionally use it to disseminate factual information to the public.

Opoka also encouraged editors or gatekeepers of news in respective media houses to ensure news that goes out in the media is properly verified and does not mislead consumers of news.

“Before any news goes out, the gatekeeper should verify and ensure that that information that is going to be shared is the right information, and also to be able to mitigate and manage the effects afterward. But not just getting anything and then you share,” she said.

Reacting to concerns about security brutality against journalists, Opoka said while the commission doesn’t condone rights abuses, journalists on their part must exercise caution on personal safety while in their line of duty in confrontational situations.

“As a journalist, your security is very critical. Do not go and jump where there is chaos, and you want to show your media or journalism matters. Think about your personal security number one, because you will not expect the Uganda Human Rights Commission to come and protect you when you are in the middle of a saga,” Opoka told the journalists.

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