Paper long abstract:

The issues raised here are based on data from four media houses in Uganda. This included 2 print media houses, 1 radio station and 1 television station. The sample had 35 participants;comprising of journalists and editors. The study from which this data is drawn was originally done for the Uganda Media Women's Association (UMWA) in 2004. A mostly qualitative approach was used to collect data, using interviews and focus group discussions.

In Uganda, cases of Corruption are common. It is not unusual to hear government officials make pronouncements after pronouncements about their commitment to fighting corruption and their willingness to work with the media in exposing corrupt entities. It is also undeniable that the media has done a commendable job exposing corruption; however, it must be pointed out that the media also has 'its hands soiled'. Reports indicate that several journalists receive kickbacks to 'squash' stories that would have exposed powerful individuals and organisations. The media is sometimes used for propaganda by government or to tarnish the image of political opponents.

In the 'paupered' world of most African journalists, some people would almost feel sympathetic for journalists who fall prey to these external pressures since they have got to fend for themselves and an often extended family. What is however unforgivable, is the corruption within the media houses themselves. Several times, editors oppress journalists and may demand kickback in cash or kind before a journalist's story is run. This unfortunate scenario means a lot of good articles, including those on corruption are 'spiked' without the public ever getting to hear or read about them. It is to this issue that I take a gender perspective, a focus on the women journalists and how they have to deal with 'corrupt' male editors.

Some critics may want to argue that there are women editors too, but statistics show that as you go higher up managerial levels of different professions, the number of women begins to go down, meaning that most of the 'all- so- powerful' positions of editors are most likely occupied by men and the lower reporter positions by more women journalists. Women have been weeded out of these processes by unfortunate socio - cultural patriarchal practices engrained in the African patriarchal systems.

Some women journalists have hard to compromise sexually to have their stories published. It is indeed a double tragedy for women journalist who have to report on cases of sexual harassment else where yet suffer in silence about their own situations. This paper therefore employs feminist epistemologies to explore the experiences of 30 women journalists and also examine the psychological pain and compromises they have had to deal with in an endeavour to work for the greater good.