Prof Kiiza to Journalists: Stop being ‘Useful Idiots’

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Makerere University political economist, Prof Julius Kiiza, has challenged Ugandan journalists to resist being “useful idiots who parrot the narratives of forces who have formed an alliance of betrayal against the country”.

In political jargon, a “useful idiot” is a derogatory term for a person perceived as a propagandist for a cause the goals of which they are not fully aware, and who is used cynically by the leaders of the cause.

A useful idiot is manipulated and held in contempt by the leaders of their faction or is unaware of the ultimate agenda driving the ideology to which they subscribe.

Speaking at an engagement meeting with editors and journalists in Kampala around the theme “Economic development and Industrial Policy in Uganda”, Prof Kiiza, who asked that the terms “useful idiots” and “parrot” be understood in context, said journalists’ lack of conceptual clarity on economic reporting and other pertinent issues weakens public discourse on sector-specific issues.

According to Prof Kiiza, by talking and propagating the language of the dominant forces, economic or otherwise, journalists help in adopting an ideology and vocabulary of advanced western forces hence forging “an alliance of betrayal”.

Prof Kiiza said the Ugandan media is giving the citizens a raw deal but not setting the agendas in public interest and creating a national conversation on strategic guidance on development of the country.

As an example, Prof Kiiza cited the escrow account set in London in favour of Umeme should its power distribution concession be terminated, which the media gullibly report on despite being not in national interest.

Prof Kiiza said the media has failed to offer guidance on misplaced budgetary priorities, like in agriculture, ending up parroting what the technocratic and political elite, with vested interests, propagate.

He said the country needs a media that creates, as he put it, “conversations that uproot roadblocks to development”.

According to Prof Kiiza, journalists could do better if they read widely and invested in investigative journalism and data mining, and graduate from the fear of statistics in order to unearth the devil in the details of the robust figures that those who have forged the “alliance of betrayal” keep churning out.

Reacting to Prof Kiiza’s remarks, Pius Mutekani Katunzi from The Observer newspaper, said journalists are there to promote the public good and should not be blamed for Uganda’s development woes.

Charles Odoobo-Bichachi, from The Daily Monitor newspaper, agreed with Prof Kiiza arguing that journalism should not be only about reporting but also contributing positively to society.

In his response, Prof Kiiza said if journalism is a public good then it must serve the greater majority and public good and not be used to propagate selfish interests and dominant narratives of corporations and technocratic and political elites.

According to Prof Kiiza, a country’s journalism should develop a national grammar and promote more local content than foreign content, adding that Ugandan journalists must desist from committing the sin of commission and that of omission.

He challenged journalists to avoid parroting but instead be analytical, crosscheck facts and interrogate every report and visits by high-fliers like the business captains from the western world.

Prof Kiiza observed that it makes no sense for the media to simply repeat claims by the political class on Uganda’s attainment of middle income status by 2020 without critiquing and explaining the possibilities and impossibilities and what it means to ordinary Ugandans.

According to Prof Kiiza the media should not compromise right holders and prevent them from holding duty bearers accountable.

He concluded that god journalism must be in public interest and not exploited to re-image dominant narratives of forces in the “alliance of betrayal” and play to the demands of the shareholders.

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