Research

From Print to Digital: A Historical-Political Economy Narrative of the Emergence and Adoption of ePapers in the Ugandan Press

Published

1 year ago

October 22, 2025

Mak Editor

From Print to Digital: A Historical-Political Economy Narrative of the Emergence and Adoption of ePapers in the Ugandan Press. Photo: ImageFX

_{By Arinaitwe Deo Rugyendo, William Tayeebwa, Adolf Mbaine, & Gilbert Gumoshabe}

ABSTRACT

In this article, we historicize the emergence and adoption of electronic newspapers (ePapers) in Uganda’s mediascape over the last three decades. Despite the extensive literature on Uganda’s media and its political economy entanglements, it is puzzling that little attention has been paid to the rise of ePapers—a surprising omission given the growing relevance of digital journalism, especially in the Global South. Adopting a Historical Political Economy perspective, we employ a qualitative approach involving key informant interviews to explore how economic pressures, political constraints, and technological change have steered Uganda’s transition to digital newspapers. We identify key institutional shifts and strategic innovations that have shaped the electronic adaptation of the ePaper model by Uganda’s print media. The findings present a media ecosystem undergoing political economy changes and socio-techno-structural transformations involving neoliberal economic reforms under Structural Adjustment Programmes, a de-regulated policy environment that allowed emergency of private media; the spread of the internet and mobile telephony during the 1990s; the rise of social media and digital accelerations in the 2000s; alternative revenue motivation due to declining print circulations; and the COVID-19 pandemic that hastened digital-first strategies. Beyond this historical narrative, we highlight multiple implications of this transition for press freedom, media sustainability and preservation, and mediated public discourse. We further offer pathways for further research across Africa and beyond.

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CARTA Fellow Tamale on Building Systems, Shaping Policy and Transforming Lives beyond the PhD

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3 weeks ago

October 6, 2026

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Dr. Andrew Tamale, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and BioSecurity (CoVAB), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa. Photo. CARTA.

A PhD can spark impact that extends far beyond academia. Meet CARTA graduate Andrew Tamale, whose journey demonstrates the multiplier effect of research capacity strengthening—from helping transform doctoral training and generating evidence that informed safer fish consumption practices, to strengthening One Health approaches for outbreak preparedness in Uganda and beyond.

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Source: CARTA News & Updates Issue 105

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CARTA Fellow Anywar Appointed UTANA Subject Matter Expert, Talks Medicinal Plants

Published

3 weeks ago

October 6, 2026

Mark Wamai

Dr. Godwin Anywar, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University. Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

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He was also featured in Uganda’s New Vision on July 26, 2026, in a special report on Uganda’s medicinal plants.

Source: CARTA News & Updates Issue 105

Research

Makerere Hosts TERID Hub Early Career Researchers Grant Writing Workshop

Published

3 weeks ago

October 6, 2026

Mark Wamai

The Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (TERID) Hub continued its efforts to strengthen the capacity of 17 early career researchers (ECRs) (10 men, 7 women) on an institutional level by holding a grant writing workshop from September 8 - 11, 2026, at Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (TERID) Hub continued its efforts to strengthen the capacity of early career researchers (ECRs) on an institutional level by holding a grant writing workshop from September 8 – 11, 2026, at Makerere University. The workshop, attended by 17 ECRs (10 men, 7 women), strengthened participating researchers’ capacity by equipping them with critical skills to secure competitive funding. The intensive sessions bridged the gap between innovative academic concepts and fundable proposals, focusing heavily on decoding complex funder criteria and structuring compelling narratives. Participants prioritized the CONNECT-VAX call, which closely aligns with the Hub’s core work, and formed two groups: one on vaccine research and development capacity, the other on public trust and demand for vaccines manufactured in Africa.

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Source: CARTA News & Updates Issue 105