Uganda - Apply for Press Accreditation Card

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Procedure

1. A press accreditation card can be obtained from Uganda Media Centre department working on matters of accreditation of foreign journalist.
   • A person shall not be an employee of a foreign mass media organisation or working as a freelancer for that mass media shall practise journalism in Uganda unless he or she is in possession of an accreditation card issued by the media council.
   • A person shall not, within the boundaries of the Uganda, practice journalism or work as freelancer except with the permission of the Media Council or Media Centre.
2. The applicant should write a letter from an employer to The Executive Director Uganda Media Centre/ Secretary Media Council stating the purpose of visit.
3. Fill up the appropriate application form G as described by the Media council starting the particulars of the applicant. The accreditation forms can be acquired from either Media Council or Media Centre offices.
   • There is however no harm if the journalists use either the Media Centre or the Media Council as their first point of contact.
4. Attach Two-passport size photographs and a Scanned Copy of your Passport Can be attached physically or electronically.
5. After filling the form proceed to pay the prescribed fee. Press accreditation process is considered complete at the Media Council offices after payment of the prescribed fees and issuance of an accreditation card.
6. Submit the dully filled in form G and attached with pay slip to the Authorized Officer in charge of the foreign media whose officers shall carryout inspection of your foreign mass media organisation.
7. Collect your Accreditation card from where your application was submitted within 30 days from the date the application was received at Media council in case there is no rejection.

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Required Documents

• Clearance from Ministry of information and communication
• Business-registration/registering-a-new-company
• original certificate of registration (Mass media organisation name)
• Certificate of incorporation (Company)
• Clearance from Uganda Registration Services Bureau
• Two-passport size photographs and a Scanned Copy of your Passport Can be attached physically or electronically.
• A letter from an employer to The Executive Director Uganda Media Centre/ Secretary Media Council stating the purpose of visit.

The Accreditation Requirements

• The following are the requirements for accreditation;

• Local Journalists/Media Practitioners

All journalists accrediting for the first time with the Media Council of Uganda MUST provide the following requirements for vetting before proceeding with the accreditation process.

• A letter from the employer
• Professional Certificate (ORIGINAL) that is either a Degree of Diploma in Communication from a recognized training institution
• Portfolio of work done either in Print or Broadcast ( Please provide the work not website links)
• A clear passport size digital photograph

• Freelance,Journalists,Foreign Journalists.

• A reference letter from an organization that publishes your work
• Professional Certificate that is either a Degree of Diploma in Communication from a recognized training institution
• Portfolio of work done either in Print or Broadcast ( Please provide the work not website links)
• A clear passport size digital photograph

• Foreign Journalists

All foreign Journalists are required to provide the following;

• A letter from the employer
• Professional Certificate that is either a Degree of Diploma in Communication from a recognized training institution
• Portfolio of work done either in Print or Broadcast ( Please provide the work not website links)
• A clear passport size digital photograph
• Valid Work permit
• Passport
  

• Students
  

Students studying in accredited colleges and Universities are eligible for accreditation. This will be issued once satisfaction has been made that the student is in their final phase of their training and is proceeding for industrial attachment.

• A letter from training institution indicating that the student is to go for internship.
• Valid Student ID.
• A clear passport size digital photograph.

Office Locations & Contacts

Uganda Media Centre - Head Office
Plot 36, Nile Avenue,
Kampala
P.O.Box 2665
kampala,Uganda
Telephone: +256312261525/6/7, +256414-237-141/3
Email: [email protected]
Website: Link

Eligibility

Eligibility for Accreditation. The following cadre of people is eligible for accreditation:

• Journalists working in media enterprises.
• Freelance journalists.
• Students pursuing media, journalism and communication studies.
• Public Relations Practitioners.
• Advertising Companies.
• Media Trainers.

Fees

• Application fee for accreditation card $25

On issuance of accreditation card:

• For a period of 2 years $300
• For a period of 3 months but not exceeding 6 months $200
• For a period of up to 3 months $ 150
• A fee of US$175 per person is paid for a period not exceeding 30 days of the journalist’s stay.
• A fee of US$225 per person is paid for a period beyond 30 days up to six months of stay.
• A fee of US$325 per person is paid for a period of two years. Refer to the Press and Journalist (Fees) Regulations, 2014.

Validity

• Valid from 3 months to 2 years.

Documents to Use

Application Form

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

Maximum processing time is 7 days.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites. 	
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver, 
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

• No person being an employee of a foreign mass media organisation or working as a freelancer for that mass media shall practise journalism in Uganda unless he or she is in possession of an accreditation card issued by the Media council.
• The accreditation card referred to shall be issued upon payment of fees and upon such terms as may be prescribed by the council.

Required Information

• Name of Mass media organisation
• Country of Origin
• Nationality
• Date of Birth
• Home Address
• Passport No.
• Organisation (Employer)
• Designation (position with employ)
• Purposes of Visit in Uganda
• Date of Arrival
• Intended Length of stay
• Signature of the Applicant.

Need for the Document

• Helps them to access information by allowing participation in conferences, workshops, trainings and other gatherings or other official sources of public information; and enhances the protection of their rights and enjoyment of privileges in the performance of their duties in the country.
• One of its main aims is to improve professionalism among journalists as it ensures that all accredited journalists have the right skills to carry out their duties in a professional manner as accorded to by the Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism in Uganda.
• It also fulfills the Council’s mandate to compile and maintain a register of journalists, media practitioners, media enterprises and such other related registers.

Benefits of Accreditation.

• Helps in professionalization in journalism.
• It helps journalists to access information by allowing participation in conferences, workshops,trainings and other gatherings.
• It enhances the protection of the rights and privileges of journalists in the performance of their duties.

Information which might help

• Once a journalist is accredited, they agree to disclosure of their accreditation status including when they were accredited, the organization they work for and their academic qualification.
• Lost press cards will only be replaced upon production of a police abstract and letter from the employer stating the loss. The card replacement fee is Ugshs 10,000.
• Student press cards will ONLY be issued to students going for internship,4th year Undergraduate students and 3rd year Diploma students.
• No journalist shall disseminate information or an allegation without establishing its correctness or truth.
• No journalist shall disclose the source of his or her information; he or she shall only divulge the source in the event of an overriding consideration of public interest and within the framework of the law of Uganda.
• No journalist shall solicit or accept bribes in an attempt to publish or suppress the publication of a story.
• A journalist shall not plagiarise the professional work of others or expropriate works or results of research by scholars without acknowledging their contribution and naming his or her sources of information.
• A journalist shall obtain his or her information through the skillful application of journalistic principles and shall never bribe or offer inducements to his or her source.
• No journalist shall deny any person with legitimate claim a right to reply to a statement. Corrections and rejoinders are to be published in appropriate form without delay and in a way that they will be noticed by those who have received the original information.
• A journalist shall at all times strive to separate his or her own opinions from factual news. Where personal opinions are expressed, the public shall be made to know.
• A journalist shall take the necessary steps to correct any damaging report he or she has made on any individual or organisation.
• A journalist shall not originate or encourage the dissemination of information designed to promote or which may have the effect of promoting tribalism, racism or any other form of discrimination.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

• External Link 1
• External Link 2

Others

More information which might help people.