Journalists have not gone deep to investigate issues of COVID-19.

By; Our reporter

10^th July 2020

The latest report by the African Center for Media Excellence ACME indicates that Journalists have failed to question the official narrative while covering the outbreak and management of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

They have assessed stories written by the print media and what was broadcast saying it lacked the investigative format making it the least common formats with only 0.4 per cent of all COVID-19 stories.

The study conducted between January 1 and June 30, 2020, indicates that the conventional reporting format of news writing remained dominant with 1,965 stories, representing 75 per cent of all news stories and articles published during the time. Often, government officials were not questioned on their statements.

The study also indicates that President Museveni was the most frequently cited unique source, at 18.2 per cent, followed closely by Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng at 14.4 per cent. The president of the United States of America Donald Trump was ranked third with 8.7 per cent citations, then the Director-General of Health Services Henry Mwebesa 7.8 per cent and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Atwine Kanzira at 7.2 per cent.

Peter G. Mwesige, the Executive Director of the African Centre for Media Excellence posted on his social media account calling upon journalists to play a more advanced role in telling the COVID-19 story.

The study further says a number of factors contributed to the lack of investigative reporting in the coverage of COVID-19 ranging from; the enormity of the developing story, reluctance of and fear by sources to contradict the official narrative, human resource challenges, poor investment in journalism, and the lockdown restrictions and time.

This comes as uganda’s Covid numbers have risen to 1,006 after Six new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed from a total of 2,048 samples that were tested on Thursday for the disease. Four of the confirmed cases were contacts from Busia, Malaba, Amuru and Kyotera district while two cases from Mutukula and Malaba points of entry according to the ministry of health.