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Dean Lubowa Saava worked as a reporter for NTV, one of Uganda’s leading channels, before launching an online outlet called TV 10 Gano Mazima.
According to the Uganda Communications Commission, the regulator, Mr Saava launched Gano Mazima in November 2018 in Lungujja on the outskirts of Kampala.
But he flouted just about every regulation, notably broadcasting without a licence, failing to adhere to the minimum broadcasting standards set by the UCC.
It has since taken him to court, where he was convicted and fined over criminal charges related to illegal broadcasting and defamation.
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The UCC says Mr Saava received several warnings, all of which he ignored and went on to use Gano Mazima to attack people, levelling serious accusations against some, without giving them the right of reply. He admitted to making false claims about government officials.
It is not clear why he deliberately flouted broadcasting regulations and journalism ethics he should be familiar with—but running an online channel solo often means there is no system of checks and balances.
In a well-established TV station, you do not have just one person deciding what goes on air. Editors discuss stories in news meetings.
Stories that could lead to litigation are carefully reviewed by lawyers—and they are broadcast only after assurance that they will not. Reporters fact-check every detail, and editorial policies enforce standards.
The UCC cited multiple complaints alleging defamation and “misuse of Mr Saava’s platform to intimidate and blackmail public officials”.
Mr Saava seemed to be taking advantage of the fact that news consumers do not know that journalists are not supposed to use their news outlets to fight personal wars.
It is common these days to find video clips in which some Ugandan journalists are making threats or vowing to engage in a verbal duel on air with individuals they have clashed with.
Professionally produced journalism does not allow that. A news outlet should not be used by a journalist, even if they founded it, to launch verbal grenades against people.
Here is a good example to illustrate this point. If police assault the founder and CEO of a TV channel in Kampala, the founder is not supposed to report the story themselves. Good ethical behaviour means the victim recuses themselves from the reporting and assigns a journalist with no vested interest in the story. This is done to assure viewers that there is no conflict of interest—perceived or real.
But Mr Saava often used his broadcasts to attack enemies, shifting his role from reporter to combatant.
Nyombi Tembo, the UCC’s executive director, wrote last September to say that the punitive action taken against Mr Lubowa was not linked to a personal vendetta.
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Mr Saava and his platform, he went on, were subject to regulatory scrutiny due to “multiple serious violations, including operating without a broadcast licence”.
The UCC’s minimum broadcasting standards state clearly that broadcasters must ensure news is factual, does not incite violence or prejudice, and complies with the law.
A programme that is broadcast about a contender for a public office should give all parties equal opportunity to air their views.
These standards closely correspond with editorial guidelines at TV stations. But Mr Saava, says Mr Tembo, failed to comply with directives issued by the UCC.
One of the glaring failures is that news sources used Mr Saava for their own selfish goals. The Leader of the opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyoyi, sued him in 2024 for alleging he took a bribe of shs1bn from the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority.
Mr Saava had no evidence linking Mr Ssenyonyi to the bribe.
🔴 If you care about truth, credibility and understanding how journalism really works, media literacy is essential. Follow OJ-UGANDA’s media literacy section to sharpen your news sense and separate fact from fiction. Media literacy is your weapon against misinformation, manipulation and media distrust.