Catholic Journalists in Uganda Urged to Use Media to Promote Pastoral Activities

Jinja, 28 July, 2023 / 9:03 PM

Catholic journalists in Uganda have been urged to use the various means of communication in promoting the Church’s pastoral activities.

Addressing Catholic journalists in Uganda at the start of a training on specialized reporting Tuesday, July 25, the chairperson of the Association of Catholic Communication Practitioners in Uganda (ACCPU) called for unity between Catholic communicators and other media institutions.

“ACCPU was formed to identify Catholic journalists in Uganda and unite them with other media houses,” Mr Simon Peter Byakatonda said during the training that is underway at the Mother Kevin Centre of Jinja Diocese.

The ACCPU official said Catholic journalists need “to promote the good news of evangelization and unity” which he said would be achieved through positive reporting by highlighting areas of importance and following Catholic Church hierarchy.

Also speaking at the event, Ms Josephine Kigogwe of Uganda Martyrs Profile Apostolate (UMPA), a Christian organization that promotes and defends human life from conception until natural death, said, “The Catholic Church expects a lot from you (Catholic communicators), so let us be truth tellers in our profession.”

For Fr. Phillip Odii, the executive secretary of the Social Communicators Commission at the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC)  Catholic journalists need to make use of the available Catholic Institutions in their reportage.

“We have a number of primary and secondary schools and hospitals in Uganda and the world over which are Catholic-founded. This is the right time Catholic and non-Catholic journalists to start reporting positively and giving detailed reporting about Catholic schools’ performances,” he said.

He added, “The Catholic Church hierarchy will soon have a spokesperson who will be giving information to journalists about the Catholic Church.”

The July 25-29 training is bringing together 17 Catholic journalists from four Ecclesiastical Provinces in Uganda including, Gulu, Kampala, Mbarara, and Tororo.