Reinventing the Newsroom: Margaret Vuchiri on the Future of Ugandan Journalism in a Rapidly Shifting Digital Age

Reinventing the Newsroom: Margaret Vuchiri on the Future of Ugandan Journalism in a Rapidly Shifting Digital Age

It is always important to learn from the best. In this long-form, comprehensive and elaborate interview, we speak to Ms Margaret Vuchiri, a journalist and media consultant. For the past two decades, she was a player and witness to the evolving face of media, especially in the newsroom. She has actively led roles in newsroom leadership and media development initiatives. 

Ms Vuchiri shares with David Kangye a breakdown of what media practitioners need to concern themselves with regarding the future of media, media innovation and media sustainability. 

DK: Having witnessed two decades of newsroom transformation, how do you envision the future of journalism in Uganda over the next 10 years?

MV: I believe that journalism itself has a great future, but that will depend hugely on two things. One is how individual newsrooms respond to digital disruption and the other is whether news organizations listen to their audience and give them content that is relevant and worth their money. What is endangered is not journalism itself but the legacy models that once sustained the industry as a business. It is the economic structure that keeps media managers awake. The challenge for them is to reinvent how they operate, how they package stories for specific target groups and platforms, and how they deliver them to audiences whose consumption habits are constantly changing.

It is necessary to study the systems that have worked elsewhere and, importantly, to invest in improving the editorial processes and the journalists who do the journalism. A lot goes into the full newsroom production cycle, and those who work in newsrooms, especially at the management level, know that a lot of investment is required to improve workflows. A news organization’s primary product is content; if they offer value for money by producing relevant, high-quality journalism, then audiences will pay for it. Current industry trends demand more than simply having a digital presence. News organizations must review their operational structures beyond increasing pressure on reporters and editors to “improve content”. We need to ask questions about how we adopt technology in the newsroom, what new business strategies we are willing to explore, what products audiences prefer, and whether all departments that influence the business cycle such as circulation, production, finance, and marketing, are aligned with the realities of digital transformation.

Importantly, journalists need the training and tools to integrate audio, video, infographics, maps, etc., into their stories to make them engaging. I therefore think distribution models must also constantly evolve. If we build systems that train and equip journalists to deliver quality content and reach audiences across platforms, journalism will remain relevant and continue to grow.

Looking ahead, media companies are likely to evolve even further. The shift is increasingly towards new formats and new types of content creators such as independent journalists, niche creators, podcasters, YouTubers… Many journalists are building their own brands to become influencers, and the credible ones that audiences trust may become even bigger than the newsrooms that employ them. 

These changes will reshape how media companies operate. They will have to continue diversifying revenue streams, building partnerships, reviewing their advertising models across platforms, and building clear editorial brands that stand out in the busy digital spaces. The media houses that survive will be those that understand that their role is no longer limited to publishing news. They must invest in sustainable business models. 

Though the traditional newsrooms are weakened, I think the future will still be a hybrid model rather than a replacement of the old. Traditional newsrooms will continue to exist alongside the thriving independent digital platforms and smaller niche newsrooms. Uganda’s media environment will be more democratized, even more innovative, and largely digitally driven. However, the mission remains the same: to provide relevant and trustworthy journalism. If we embrace innovation while upholding journalistic principles, the future of journalism in Uganda is secure.

DK: What do you think newsrooms must prioritise to remain relevant in an era dominated by AI, social media, and livestream content?

MV: Credible journalism. There is a common saying that “good journalism is good business,” and this has never been more accurate than in today’s digital era. When I look back at the early days of digital transformation when I was leading a team in a traditional media organization, our instinctive response to declining print copy sales was panic, and then to chase alternative revenue streams because the print had for a long time been our cash cow. While that was understandable, it also revealed a weakness, that you cannot sustain a business by widening distribution channels if the content itself lacks depth and quality. That would be akin to putting lipstick on a pig. Audiences will not pay for products or stay loyal to journalism that they can abandon after reading one or two paragraphs. You have to give a reader reason to keep coming back for your product.

I read somewhere that true innovation isn’t about chasing shiny objects. It’s about discovering new ways to serve audiences and achieve financial stability and that change must happen strategically and gradually, not as a quick fix simply to find money.

The first task, therefore, is to fix the editorial. Newsrooms must produce high-quality content that audiences find relevant enough to pay for. That is easy with some investment because we generally have good journalists. The next step is to properly skill teams to use emerging technologies, including AI, in ways that enhance rather than replace their input. Many newsrooms now have AI policies and ethical use must be at the center of it. AI can support idea generation, background research to produce richer, more grounded stories but it must not replace our creativity and originality. 

Second is to maintain strict editorial standards on all platforms. The reality is that newsrooms have embraced new media, which is great, but their relevance, whether on TikTok, YouTube, X, or Instagram and Facebook, still depends on the quality of content they post. The temptation to chase trends, views, and produce viral content is there given that sensationalism thrives on social media platforms. But mainstream newsrooms cannot afford to become blogs that rely on clickbait for survival and growth. 

Media organizations like The Economist and The Guardian have shown that building sustained digital subscriptions through consistent quality content is the basis for business viability. The Guardian has in the past highlighted a deliberate response to sustained market shifts in the market by prioritising investment in high-quality journalism, digital products, data management, and other components that drive reach, engagement, and revenue, including an innovative business model.

Newsrooms must, therefore, invest in innovation and continuous professional development. This means training journalists to integrate multimedia such as video, audio, infographics, and livestreams into their storytelling. It also means preparing team leaders across departments to adapt to changing business models, technological shifts and audience behaviour. The newsrooms that have succeeded so far have done so by responding deliberately to market shifts, prioritising high-quality journalism and building innovative business models that align with current news consumption trends.

DK: How can Ugandan media houses rebuild trust and maintain credibility in a time when misinformation spreads faster than facts?

MV: We must return to the fundamentals of journalism. Again, it doesn’t matter what platform you are using. Your audiences deserve the truth.  Studies show that misinformation travels farther and faster than facts and this problem is heightened by the growing AI-generated content and the speed of social media, which leaves audiences overwhelmed. The Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2023 revealed that 56 per cent of news consumers now struggle to distinguish real news from fiction. This points to a serious challenge for any newsroom trying to remain relevant.

To regain credibility, Ugandan media must prioritise verification and editorial discipline to get things right. Credibility depends on fact-checking, interrogating sources and news tips, and adopting the use of digital tools to check images and videos. Rigorous verification must be a core aspect of quality control. Newsrooms should also resist the temptation to chase clicks, trends and online popularity at the expense of accuracy. We must verify before we publish and this should be consistent across all platforms. Whether in print, on social media or in livestreams, the same editorial standards should apply. Also, transparency strengthens trust and audiences respond positively when journalists explain what they know, what they are still verifying and how they reached their conclusions. 

DK: In your view, what is the role of mentorship in preparing young journalists for the rapidly changing media landscape?

MV: Mentorship plays a crucial role in preparing young journalists to thrive in an industry that is constantly evolving. This year, I participated in the NMG-Uganda Women in Newsroom Mentorship Program. It was fulfilling even for me as a mentor because when I joined the newsroom, there was no structured mentorship program to support professional growth.

The bright side was that I joined a newsroom with an exceptional editorial team. I often joked that the journalists at Daily Monitor at the time were like one of the finest football line-ups in the world, and I learned a great deal from them. That’s why I commend NMG-Uganda for rolling out a well-designed mentorship initiative. Journalism is a tough terrain, especially for young female professionals. Mentorship is essential because it not only builds their professional skills but also gives them reassurance through hearing our stories that they can handle the challenges ahead.

That culture of continuous learning within newsrooms is important because it exposes young journalists to new ideas, skills, and opportunities that encourage them to adapt and grow. Another element is the guidance provided across various areas of professional development when experienced journalists share insights on leadership, decision-making, business strategies, power dynamics, and work-life balance. This empowers mentees to withstand the pressures and challenges. As mentors, we provide practical life lessons and safe spaces to discuss challenges, dilemmas, newsroom politics, and industry uncertainties. Through these interactions, mentees develop the confidence and maturity to make responsible decisions, which shape them for future media leadership.

DK: Do you think the traditional newsroom model will survive, or will the future of journalism be decentralised and independent?

MV: Interestingly, I was recently interviewed by a journalism student who asked me whether journalism would survive in the next five years. My response then is still the same: journalism will survive as long as we do it right. But it is important to distinguish between the sustainability of legacy media models and the survival of journalism as a profession. Traditional media as we know it, especially the advertising-driven model that supported the print, is under serious threat. Some people say it is actually dead.

The changes we are experiencing represent a shift in how journalism is done, how it is distributed, and how audiences consume it. Distribution is now mainly platform-based but we often fall into the trap of treating print as the only affected component and viewing the e-paper as a separate digital product. In reality, the e-paper is simply the digital version of the same newspaper, produced by the same editors and the same newsroom. The platforms differ, but the product is the same.

This is why multi-platform newsrooms must stop obsessing over which platform sells more. Whether a reader buys a print copy or subscribes to a digital version, they are paying for the same journalism. The focus should shift to producing consistently strong, trustworthy content that attracts recurring subscribers who will follow the product across platforms. Innovation is essential, not just to maintain what remains of traditional revenue streams, but to continuously monetize digital platforms.

Given this reality, it is highly unlikely that what remains of the traditional model will survive for much longer. Instead, what we are seeing, and what I believe will define the future, is a hybrid arrangement where traditional newsrooms will continue to exist, but they will operate alongside a growing wave of independent creators, niche publishers, and smaller newsrooms producing digital products. These different actors will coexist and hopefully collaborate to leverage others’ strengths.

This future is not about replacing one model with another, but about recognizing that journalism now thrives in multiple forms and spaces. Niche products will rise, targeting specific audiences and serving them with quality products rather than trying to cover every news item to distribute to every audience. Importantly, established newsrooms will have to innovate and diversify their products to meet changing audience needs.

Indeed, the future will be more decentralized and independent but not at the expense of traditional newsrooms. They will evolve and operate side-by-side.

DK: How can Ugandan media integrate digital innovation such as data journalism, podcasts, and AI tools without losing editorial integrity?

MV: Innovation should strengthen journalism so the challenge is not the technology itself but how we regulate its use, especially how newsrooms are prepared to work with it and how they safeguard editorial guidelines during the adoption process.

The starting point is strong policies. Any newsroom that intends to adopt AI, data tools or other digital formats must have clear guidelines that define how these tools should be used, where the boundaries lie and what ethical considerations must be respected. Several newsrooms have already developed AI policies, and this is a critical step in preventing abuse. 

Training is another crucial aspect. Journalists cannot adopt tools they do not understand. For instances, data journalism is crucial but remains a major challenge when it comes to interpreting or analyzing datasets. However, interest in training is growing and once journalists acquire the skills, the impact is evident in the depth of their reporting. It is the same with AI where general prompts produce disjointed stories with no proper flow. Proper use of these tools helps journalists build ideas, structure stories, strengthen context and clean up copy while still maintaining their human creativity and originality. 

Editorial integrity must remain the guiding principle across all platforms. A newsroom cannot have one set of standards for print and another for podcasts and related content. If a journalist’s biases are caught and corrected in a print story, the same biases cannot be allowed to slip into a newsroom podcast. Innovation should, therefore, operate within editorial guidelines, meaning that podcasts or AI use must follow the same editorial standards that guide traditional reporting.

Transparency is also crucial. While some newsrooms use AI, there is widespread stigma around its use so journalists are generally hesitant to admit it, as if it is a crime. We are seeing AI prompts increasingly appearing in final news products, and online comments reveal audience skepticism, calling journalists who use AI lazy. This confirms research findings that while publishers are fast adopting AI, they need to proceed with caution as the public generally wants humanized content.

Audiences should know that newsrooms use AI and in what capacity because they need assurance that a human journalist, or an editor they can call to account, remains accountable for the final story. This kind of transparency is necessary for maintaining trust.

DK: In your experience, what kind of innovations have worked well in Ugandan newsrooms, and which ones have failed to take root?

MV: Having worked in a newsroom through the uncertainties of digital transformation, I can say that innovation has never failed because of a lack of ideas. If anything, Ugandan newsrooms, especially the smaller, youth-led digital outlets, have shown remarkable creativity. What determines whether an innovation takes root is the environment in which it is introduced, especially the financial state of the newsroom, team capacity and motivation, as well as leadership foresight.

What I have seen work well are innovations that align with audience behaviour and newsroom capacity. Mobile journalism is a good example mainly because of how audiences consume news and the affordable costs involved. Social media is another one where platforms like X have transformed how we handle news. Even in the early 2000s when I joined the newsroom, the Daily Monitor already had a vibrant website and looking back, it had a solid foundation to own the digital transformation space with the benefit of strategic foresight. However, the newspaper was doing very well at the time and attention was not given to studying the future of the profession. 

The innovations that have struggled or never progressed are usually the ones that required investment and specialized skills. Digital disruption hit legacy newsrooms hard. We were forced to innovate for alternative revenue streams while operating under shrinking budgets, restructuring, and constant job cuts. Under such pressure, staff morale naturally dipped. High employee turnover meant that the institutional memory that would sustain innovations was lacking. You cannot build long-term digital products when every few months the team changes or fears being next on the restructuring list.

In the mid-2000s, we had blogs for news explainers written by senior journalists to connect to audiences and simplify the news. The idea was excellent and audiences responded well but it was not consistent. Today, major global outlets have entire desks doing explainers. Sustaining such ideas requires dedicated staffing, skills development and investment.

AI adoption faces similar challenges. Some newsrooms use AI to clean copy or help with ideation, but not for advanced applications. This is because training is limited and ethical concerns persist, as well as resistance to innovations seen to be a threat to traditional journalism roles. Even digital transformation faced a lot of resistance in newsrooms but this, in my experience, was partly influenced by how it was handled. For any innovation to succeed, it requires buy-in, training and investment.

It’s also worth noting that many of the most exciting innovations in Uganda are happening outside mainstream newsrooms. Young, digital-native journalists and small start-ups are driving bold ideas such as podcasts, niche content, data-driven explainers, because they are not weighed down by bureaucratic legacy systems where someone can hold a request for checking a company registration detail until the story is overtaken by events. I was invited to serve on the board of one such start-up, and its growth is impressive due to the unique content, innovative storytelling formats and clever distribution. These younger creators take advantage of digital spaces to build products where the same story is simplified for various audience segments and distributed to them through different platforms.

It would, however, be presumptuous for me to reduce innovation success to a list of ‘what worked’ and ‘what failed’ because I do not have verifiable comparative data. What I can say, from experience, is that innovations succeed in newsrooms when they are supported by leadership and accepted by the teams.

DK: What opportunities do you see for collaboration between media, tech startups, and universities to drive innovation in storytelling?

MV: The opportunities exist but they will only work if we stop working in isolation. An institution like the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications is doing impressive work in that regard. We need spaces for shared knowledge and skills, where we have tech-driven innovations with editorial backing.

We also need to align media education and newsroom needs. I’ve had long conversations with a media scholar who shared their own professional dilemma about what courses remain relevant and what should be dropped or adopted. The reality is that we must blend the old and new. We still need depth in investigations, documentary-making skills but we also need digital flexibility for podcasts, short videos, analytics, etc.

There’s a huge opportunity in mentorship and multi-platform storytelling training.
We are already seeing good work from initiatives like the Media Challenge Initiative and other media support organisations. But for greater impact, these initiatives need integration with newsrooms. 

Collaboration can also help with strategy. One of the mistakes a newsroom can make is adopting every digital trend as if it’s a magic bullet and jumping onto every innovation fad. When media houses work with tech startups and universities, they are able to base their editorial decisions on grounded research, test business models for digital products, and identify what aligns with their editorial strengths and values.

Another critical area in collaboration is common objectives. Some joint projects fail because media support organizations or donors push one agenda while newsrooms have entirely different priorities. If we are going to collaborate, we must design projects together from the beginning or agree on success indicators and ensure that donor interests don’t override editorial objectives. 

DK: How can legacy media institutions leverage emerging platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and podcasts to reach younger audiences?

MV: It is important to study how audiences use each platform. When the newspaper I once worked for opened an Instagram account, I wasn’t sure we would derive much value from the platform. But once you understand what audiences expect, like appealing visuals, short captions, and behind-the-scenes images, it becomes a useful platform. That same principle applies to TikTok, X, YouTube, and podcasting.

For example, you can break a major investigative story in your newspaper or on the website, complement it with behind-the-scenes TikTok posts, share key highlights through Instagram Reels, and then host a conversation about it on a podcast, radio, or TV. You can also share a short video sneak peek into the next day’s edition and this is something we used to do during the COVID-19 pandemic to engage audiences who were almost entirely accessing our product online. NMG-Uganda, for instance, has all these platforms, giving them a wide range of options to reach audiences in diverse ways.

Also, advertisers are increasingly following audiences to digital platforms, so a newsroom that builds a strong online audience will attract advertising and partnership opportunities. But you only get to that point when you treat each platform with intention rather than simply reposting print stories online.  I remember an audience engagement session with students from higher institutions, and it was eye-opening because these are people who get their news on digital platforms. They told us how they prefer stories to be done and delivered to them. One young woman even challenged our tone, saying it alienated younger audiences who want hope, regardless of the prevailing situation in the country. She gave an example of how the Chelsea FC social media admins use uplifting language even after the team loses a game.

In another session with working professionals, someone questioned why we posted print story links on X in the afternoon when people had already read the digital version the previous day, instead of focusing on timely updates suited to a fast-moving platform. That kind of feedback forces assessment of how we use these platforms for continuous improvement.

DK: What skills should today’s journalists develop to stay competitive and future-ready in the age of automation and multimedia convergence?

MV: The demands on journalists today are completely different from what they were even just ten years ago. The profession has evolved from taking hours or even a full day to report a story to a reality where anyone with a smartphone can publish it instantly. That means journalists must constantly upgrade their skills if they want to remain relevant.

These include digital skills, which are a must. Journalists who can film, edit, write, and publish from a single device have a major advantage. They need to understand how to use diverse digital tools to enhance their work. Data literacy is also essential, given the emphasis on data journalism. A lot of research and data can produce numerous stories if we break down the information for audiences. It is important to learn how to analyze datasets and generate stories from them because data-driven journalism is crucial in public accountability journalism. 

In multi-platform newsrooms, especially those that are fully converged, journalists are required to be able to write for print, contribute to radio, TV, online platforms and produce visual content. While a single reporter cannot do all of that time with one story all the time, they should upskill to be versatile enough to report for any of the platforms.

Another area is fact-checking skills that feed into analytical depth and story quality. Audiences will fact-check your story and call you out online if you do not verify what you publish.

DK: Many newsrooms face financial strain and talent loss. What strategies can make journalism more economically sustainable in Uganda?

MV: In my experience, financial strain came with declining print circulation and traditional advertising, which directly affects journalists who produce the content. Low pay and limited opportunities make it hard to retain talent. I remember one journalist telling me during a training session that he earns only 1,000 shillings, sometimes 500 per story aired on the radio yet he has a family to support. You can’t expect good journalism under such conditions. And such journalists will take the first opportunity to leave when the opportunity is presented. 

NMG-Uganda had a talent management program some years back, with clear succession plans reviewed annually. Still, the company struggled to retain staff because people want decent pay. Newsrooms are nothing without those who create the content, so investing in journalists should ideally be prioritized. 

Economic sustainability requires a combination of innovation and investment. Newsrooms need to diversify revenue through digital products, subscriptions, and innovations. They must also provide competitive pay and professional development opportunities to retain talent. 

DK: How can journalists build personal brands and independent platforms while still upholding the ethics and values of the profession? 

MV: There is a huge opportunity today for journalists to build personal brands and succeed in digital spaces but credibility has to come first. During our mentorship sessions, I often shared that journalists should not promote what they cannot defend or articulate. It’s tempting to post content that sounds intelligent to impressive online audiences, but these audiences are smart. They will see through deception, and that affects your credibility. Digital platforms offer us spaces to communicate but they are also full of pseudo-intellectuals. You can’t sustain a personal brand without authenticity. Those young online audiences will see through your lies and humble you. So, upholding personal integrity and the values of the newsroom you work for is important. But that is ultimately an individual decision. Most newsrooms now have social media policies alongside general editorial guidelines, and balancing that is crucial. 

There are challenges when personal opportunities conflict with professional duties. For example, I’ve seen a journalist holding a key position in a media organization promote a project that was riddled with corruption from the outset. Later, if the newsroom needs to report on that same project, will the said person sanction the story? Not likely, after being paid to promote it. These are dilemmas newsrooms face and they should have frank conversations with their teams to find a middle ground.  Similarly, journalists privately working as aides or in roles linked to public figures must separate their personal work from their reporting. 

DK: What kind of partnerships—local or international—could strengthen newsroom sustainability and capacity-building in Uganda?

MV: There are numerous opportunities. International media support organizations, as well as strong local institutions like the African Centre for Media Excellence in Uganda, have done tremendous work in building journalists’ capacity through training and mentorship, and funding for investigative reporting or beat-specific story projects. I have seen the value of such support, especially for upcountry journalists who have produced some of the best investigative stories for online platforms and community radios. 

Partnerships also help ease the financial burden of big story projects. Today, news organizations are increasingly appointing personnel to oversee partnerships, which strengthens newsrooms. 

DK: Do you think donor-funded journalism is helping or hindering long-term sustainability in the media sector?

MV: As earlier mentioned, doing analytical, investigative stories of public interest requires substantial funding. This is why, especially for independent media, it is important to partner with organizations that offer support to ensure public interest media thrives. Donor-funded journalism is helping the sector considerably, especially in supporting long-form reporting that cash-strapped newsrooms often struggle to produce. These funds allow journalists to tell stories that otherwise wouldn’t be covered and to build skills and capacity along the way as part of such projects. Ethical concerns about such arrangements can be managed through clear newsroom policies and guidelines. 

DK: Finally, what gives you hope about the next generation of Ugandan journalists, and what would you advise them to do differently?

MV: I’m encouraged by the creativity and innovation I see among young journalists today. They have far more opportunities than we did when we started our careers. They don’t need to be in a mainstream newsroom to succeed if they skill themselves and stick to basic journalistic principles. I recall a story from Solutions Now Africa that I looked at last year and I still use as a benchmark. It was first-rate journalism.

My advice to the next generation is to learn from the traditional systems, invest in deliberate training, and study industry trends to stay relevant. Embrace new technologies, but always focus on delivering value to your audience. Even if you are producing TikTok content or Instagram reels, your content must be relevant. If audiences don’t derive value from your content, then you end up communicating to yourself. It matters that we understand our audiences if we are to offer them relevant content. This is the way to build trust that can eventually translate into sustainable income from a big audience base. Audiences will always follow good content.