Assessment Report:
Peace Journalism pjct meets goal--preventing media-induced violence

When those of us in the education profession hear the word assessment, we break out in hives. So, if you’re an educator, I'll understand if you navigate to another site. If you’re not, please read on, since this is good news.

The Uganda Peace Journalism project’s goal was to prevent media induced or exacerbated violence during the election. Did we succeed? Our research shows that there was no media induced violence during the election. (There was one arrest for inciting violence. However, a prominent Ugandan human rights group says the inciting charge was bogus; trumped up to cover a political arrest). Did our project help? In a nationwide survey of Ugandan radio managers and reporters, 87% rated our Peace Journalism project effective or very effective in preventing broadcasts that might encourage violence.

We’re humbled and gratified by this news. The credit, of course, goes to the Ugandan media managers and reporters who bravely implemented peace journalism during this election cycle.

April Fool’s day, Uganda Style

They do have April Fool’s day here. However, no fooling is allowed after noon. I was unable to extract a suitable explanation as to why this was so.

In Pader, a radio station broadcast an announcement on April 1 trumpeting very cheap beef that would be sold at so-and-so location. Hundreds apparently turned up, only to be told the bad news—April Fools. I was surprised to learn that no riot ensued. Of course, all this was done before Uganda’s April Fool’s Day noon curfew.

My personal April Fool's Day joke: I told my son that his favorite show, "Dancing with the Stars", was put on haitus due to a contract dispute. Side-splitting jocularity!!

Cavalcade of Audio-Video Treats

In case you’ve missed the plethora of free, mediocre AV materials offered by yours truly, here are some of the least offensive:

Follow me on Twitter: @slyoungbld
Photos from scenic Jinja, Uganda—Bujagali Falls, Source of the Nile
Video of Youngblood teaching Peace Journalism seminar in Uganda
Photos from various Peace Journalism workshops
Audio clips from PJ public service announcements produced by Ugandan journalists