Defending Journalism Against State Repression: Legal Mobilization for Media Freedom in Uganda

Abstract

How can journalist groups and media organizations use legal strategies to defend media freedom in semi-authoritarian contexts? Whereas a sizeable social science literature has explored the structural determinants of media freedom, this paper studies how social movement actors can mobilize to protect media freedoms. Through a case study of recent struggles for media freedom in Uganda, we analyse how journalist groups and media organizations have used legal strategies to defend their freedom to report against a semi-authoritarian regime that increasingly clamps down on independent media. Drawing on numerous interviews with key actors, our analysis suggests that Uganda’s so-called media fraternity has sometimes been able to push back state repression or advance the institutional framework for media freedom. Specifically, legal mobilization has been successful when the media fraternity has been able to mobilize broad and rapid support and organize sustained public advocacy, and when the journalist or media outlet in question has public credibility. By providing a better account of when and why the media freedom movement has been able to successfully challenge government repression, this paper also contributes a better understanding of legal mobilization by journalist and media organizations that should be relevant beyond the case of Uganda.