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In a statement issued to staff on Tuesday, June 25, by Desire Derekford Mugumisa, the company's head of corporate affairs, Next Media reaffirmed its commitment to upholding editorial standards of independence, impartiality, balance, unbiased reporting, fairness, and adherence to their social media policy.
"Each of us serves with a commitment to these high standards. While we respect individual rights to association, connections must not compromise our dedication to independence or create bias," Mugumisa stated.
"Recently, we identified areas for improvement and have reinforced adherence to our ethical guidelines. We strictly prohibit public association with political parties, alliances, coalitions, or related matters that could undermine our principles."
The policies address impartiality, editorial independence, and social media usage as follows:
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- Ensure every report maintains balance and impartiality.
- Avoid any form of bias or discrimination towards individuals, organizations, or groups.
- Keep personal views separate from professional responsibilities.
- Promptly disclose any conflicts of interest.
- Uphold independence from external influences, whether personal, commercial, or political.
- Conduct personal social media activities in a manner that reflects positively on Next Media.
- Refrain from expressing political preferences or compromising impartiality.
- Maintain standards of conduct consistent with on-air professionalism.
Mugumisa reminded staff that their credibility hinges on these principles.
"Upholding them with transparency and fairness in our reporting is very important," he said. "Each of us at Next Media plays a pivotal role in maintaining our brand's unbiased conduct and reporting."
Reacting to his suspension, Simon Kaggwa Njala noted that it was his first disciplinary action in his 14 years of service at the station.
"Definitely the decision is a little unsettling given that for an impeccable 14 years of my service at the station I had never been a subject of disciplinary action. Allow me to digest it deeply," he said on X.
Simon Kaggwa Njala is said to have been suspended for two weeks for sending out a series of tweets that were pro-Mathias Mpuuga and anti-NUP. Mpuuga recently fell out with NUP where he served as deputy president.