Three Questions for Humboldt Fellow Dr. Sara Namusoga-Kaale

Dr. Namusoga-Kaale, right at the start of your fellowship, you took part in an international conference on media development cooperation at TU Dortmund University. What are the current challenges facing media development cooperation?

Generally, I would say that agenda setting is one of the major challenges. I think that the partners in the Global South and the Global North sometimes disagree on what issues to collaborate on. Usually, it comes down to values such as democracy and human rights which are sensitive subjects in many parts of Africa. While media development partners tie their assistance to these values, their partners in the Global South feel that there are other important issues that should be funded. I have also noticed that monitoring and evaluation by the media development partners tends to focus on successes without considering the negative impacts of their interventions. As a panelist at the conference, I spoke about my research that deals with the need to consider the negative effects of media development in a country like Uganda. I specifically addressed the issue of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) rights which is quite controversial in Uganda, especially since LGBT relationships are illegal there. As a result, some LGBT rights activists have asked their partners in the North to step back from the conversation so as not to appear to be imposing their values or culture on Ugandans. My biggest takeaway from the conference was the need for media development partners to engage with their partners in the Global South on an equal footing.

What are the focal points of your research to date? To what extent can you advance your research within the framework of the fellowship at TU Dortmund University?

I have carried out research in various areas that include media framing of controversial issues such as LGBT rights, the role of multimedia storytelling in archiving COVID-19 experiences in Uganda, African journalists’ needs in migration coverage, the media and the politics of Genetically Modified Organisms in Uganda. The Humboldt fellowship is a great opportunity for me to continue with my research on the media and African migration in Europe. Specifically, I will be addressing the European media coverage of African migration to Europe as well as African migrants’ communication practices in Europe. The team at the Erich Brost Institute, led by Professor Susanne Fengler, has immense experience in researching this field and I hope to tap into this experience as well as their vast network of media and journalism educators in Europe.

What is important to you during your time in Dortmund? What are your plans?

During my term in Dortmund, I hope to grow my research and publication profile. Additionally, I think that this is a great opportunity for me to collaborate with colleagues at the Erich Brost Institute and the members in their network to research about African migration in Europe while I am in Europe. I will also participate in other activities at the Erich Brost Institute such as the Autumn School for early-career African journalism educators in Dortmund, as well as giving lectures to some of the students when the opportunity arises. I have also been scheduled to give a lecture on migration in Europe and Africa at the University of Duisburg-Essen in January 2025. Finally, I have been invited to write a regular column for the European Journalism Observatory.

About the Humboldt Research Fellowship

Awarded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Research Fellowship enables experienced international researchers with above-average qualifications to conduct their own project in collaboration with a host at a German research institution. The fellowship addresses postdocs and experienced researchers who have completed their doctoral degree during the last twelve years.