With panels on citizen journalism vs digital media, digital diplomacy, tackling emerging digital threats, reframing the climate change agenda on social media, impact of social media on mental health, the state of social media and elections in Africa, among others. The conference was held virtually and key take aways include the impact of Big Tech companies on the nature of conversations together with the African way of blocking Social media platforms.

Big Tech Companies should be checked

Off the Topic, Digitial Diplomacy: The rise of algorithms and implications for big tech in African institutions, governments and individuals moderated by Alex Talemwa, a digital journalist and Academia at Agah Khan university Kenya, Big Tech companies were noted as brands with excessive power on social media.

Facebook in particular silenced Pro-NRM bloggers in Uganda which later resulted into an indefinate ban of the platform in Uganda. Also, Facebook has silenced many users from other countries sighting violation of its terms and conditions bringing to book a mighty question, do Big tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, Google hold to much power on Social media?

The founder of Africa Leo Institute and former director at the Government citizen interaction center, Awel Uwihangye notes that over 2.5 Million users continue to use Facebook through VPNs despite the platform being blocked in Uganda. More so, the recent Facebook action to permanently ban NRM bloggers in Uganda proved that the company can silence anyone on the platform and not face any serious effects from it.

“I don’t support the Facebook ban. If it were up to me, I would not have blocked the platform in Uganda but I understand the frustration of the authorities that did. You cannot be in the middle of an election and you hear that your supporters have been suspended off a platform for no explainable reason.”

Said Uwihanganye at the conference.

Social Media as a tool of change

Across the world, Social media has become a tool for change, a tool activists use to demand for change, and an avenue customers use to express their views on brands and services online. However, with change comes new challenges and ways to express views by leveraging social media.

Discussed on a panel moderated by Denis Nabende; the URBS corporate affairs manager, on the Topic Citizen Journalism vs Digital newsrooms, Blanche Musinguzi – a journalist with Africa report noted that Social media alone can’t cause change, but rather, a mix with ordinary media makes change diverse and easily achievable.

A tweet cannot bring change. There are a lot of things that happen in the backend of these movements.

During the George Floyd protests there was a lot of mobilization. Text messages. emails, phone calls

Said Blanche Musinguzi – Journalist, Africa Report

Furthermore, panellists agreed that many social movements tend to rise and end online. Social movements create awareness about an issue. But it’s always how organized they are, and the commitment of the contributors to find a solution as per the movement’s cause. So, if social media is to bring change, It should not always end with just a hashtag, but involve physical action if users are to force change.

Dealing with Fake News on Social Media

Social media is a great tool of communication, but with it comes a very big challenge that has become popular across the world. Misinformation has become a daily mover on the Internet and social media is a super spreader through which malicious users forge and spread fake news to millions of consumers daily.

In fact, Mis Infomation has led to the suspensions of social media during elections mostly in Africa and some parts of the world. Also, this has painted a false image for social media as a bad platform utilized by the youth to spread malicious information hence affecting youth-led online businesses and user perceptions.

On a panel moderated by Opolot Nicholas: the Progmmae officer at KAS Uganda and South Sudan with the topic “tackling emerging digital threats: extremism, trafficking and radicalization”. Panalists discussed on the impact of fake news and how users can safe guard themselves form being carriers of misinformation.

Panelists including Besigye Andrew – a public policy expert at the Ministry of ICt, Ojok Okello – the founder Okere City, Agnes Igoye – the deputy national coordinator for prevention of trafficking in persona dn Lynna Abaho – the Labour support officer at Ministry of Gender agreed that it is important to learn to distugungish and filter information found on socoail media to limit the spread of fake news on social media platforms.

Question everything you come across online. Double check the sources before you share, reshare or invest your time & resources in. That’s how we (as internet users) shall be able to defeat extremism, online trafficking among other digital threats.

Lynna Abaho – Labour Support officer, Ministry of Gender

With public and private sector stakeholders, government, civil society, policymakers and researchers will meet to discuss the impact of Social Media on society. Additionally, the effects of the COVID19 Pandemic on social media uptake in Uganda has ignited a new wave of Netizens making the virtual community space a priority than ever before.

However, with active sanctions from African Governments and other challenges affecting Social Media and information flow, the 2021 Uganda Social media Conference will be a spotlight for discussions on how users can overcome these sanction effects and what the future holds for Social Media usage in Africa as speakers will highlight under set topics for the event.

Digital Diplomacy: The rise of algorithms and implications of big tech in African Institutions, Governments, and Individuals

The coined phrase “digital diplomacy” is widely used in the context of Internet governance debates and digital policy-making. Social media portrays different realities with different narratives promoted by various actors. This poses new challenges like biased algorithms, online censorship, targeted manipulation, and the like.

As the past few years have shown, social media platforms are not simple tools of engagement, they are huge business empires influencing our ideas, our actions, and our politics. Social media sites are less seemingly neutral conduits of information and idea exchange. Their recommendation engines and algorithms are deciding what speeches to amplify, and what to give less attention to.

Social media algorithms steer us into groups and conversations — factual or not. They’re selling tools to advertisers — which can include political operatives — that target us with certain types of speech. And their leaders make intentional, political decisions on which policies to enforce when, and whose voices are important for their business needs. One of the most important debates of our time is around who should govern the internet. Who should be held accountable?

Impact of social media on mental health: Hitting the pause button

While many of us enjoy staying connected on social media, excessive use can fuel feelings of anxiety, depression, isolation, and FOMO (Fear of Missing out). Digital media connects people in ways never before possible, enabling users to maintain friendships across time and distance.

It enables those who are socially isolated or somehow set apart from their immediate physical community to connect with like-minded or like-situated people. However, the internet has a darker side to it. Many people are reporting cases of increased depression, suicide and online hate during and post Covid-19 Pandemic.

It’s important to remember that social media can never be a replacement for real-world human connection. It requires in-person contact with others to trigger the hormones that alleviate stress and make you feel happier, healthier, and more positive.

The rise of Global Social movements and social media: A critical moment

Social media is more than views and opinions shared online. The technology can also help orchestrate protests that move beyond the digital realm. #ENDSARS (Nigeria) and #IcantBreathe (USA) are some of the most famous hashtags from 2020. The past year has opened the world’s eyes to social injustices globally.

This year, Africa’s young people have stood at the forefront of the continent’s fights for social and civil justice. With hashtags in one hand and a will to defend the defenseless in the other, young people have propelled the crises of Africa’s injustices to the world stage. Digital media is also allowing people around the world to build communities, organize activities and make their voices heard on a multitude of issues.

Through online petitions and charities, people across the cybersphere can act on causes about which they care. Change.org, which helps individuals to start petitions and advance their causes, has enabled more than 123 million users to attain their own goals on almost 15,000 issues in 196 countries, according to its website.

Social media and Elections

Social media is becoming increasingly central to election campaigns around the world. Social media has helped develop new spaces for political engagement and civil debate. Using popular sites like Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp – civil society organizations have used social media to add transparency to electoral processes in Africa. For many governments especially those in Africa, social media can validate the legitimacy of an election through the click of a button.

Nonetheless, new issues are now emerging such as fake news, voter manipulation, and disinformation in African elections. The absence of a strategy by big tech to address misinformation has incited election-related violence in many parts of the continent.

Citizen journalism vs digital newsrooms: Building a consensus for new media

Social media’s complex symbiotic relationship with mainstream media is still evident in powerful ways. There are questions of legitimacy between the public and private media. Tensions between traditional and modern forms of communication are reflected in the online clash of views over “appropriate” online content, moral values, and perceived threats to national security.

Citizen journalism is a rapidly evolving form of journalism, which has enabled ordinary people to report newsworthy situations around them. Nowadays mainstream media do not serve as the only source of news. The alternative news sources on the Internet, such as blogs, web portals, and social networking sites give a good competition to mainstream media.

Re-framing the climate change agenda on social media

Social media has increasingly become a vital tool for climate change advocacy. Social media encourages greater knowledge of climate change, mobilization of climate change activists, space for discussing the issue with others, and online discussions that frame climate change as a negative for society.

Recently at the UN’s Climate Action Summit, photos from climate strikes around the world emerged on all platforms, demanding action on the impending climate crisis. Many have credited widely known climate activists – Vanessa Nakatte and Greta Thunberg, with launching this climate change movement globally, setting an example for others who believe the actions of one individual can have an impact. This has been amplified through their increased use of social media to draw public action on climate change.

According to Facebook, users tend to rely on likes as a competition mechanism rather than a post ranking structure. It’s to this jungle that the Social media giant is choosing to limit the fate of likes before its stretch marks surface online.

The feature has already been tested on Instagram with successful nodes on Video posts. However, the Instagram adoption rate is different from that of Facebook shorting a delay for a quick roll out on the platform, but rather selected users.

Once post likes are fully eliminated in the Newsfeed section, Facebook will be left with tickling switches of performance in groups that have re-strategised the Social media platform as a max groupie traction zone.

However, even with Like counts phased off the scene, Facebook will tremble with the number of friends liking a post instead of an overall count. Hence, this is a major shakeup for major players like Digital marketers trailing on the platform’s Like counts feature and a major health approach by Facebook.

While VPNs became the ultimate saviors from OTT tax with maximum downloads detected on smartphones to a point that UCC instructed service providers to put a stop to this. Protesters never stopped airing their views about the tax and its to this that a stronghold opposition politician Hon Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine will be answering charges related to the protests against social media tax in Uganda.

Well, does this mean all social media tax protesters will face the dock to answer charges of protesting against a GDP spicer? Yes/No the great question of the day would lie back to the legislators who previously bowed to the 0.5% mobile money tax sequence.

So, as court will soon make its ruling on the new social media tax charges, the arrest means UCC’s take on OTT tax violaters would see everyone bypassing it with VPNs facing the same dock. Henceforth, the results of social media tax in Uganda seem to be boiling from a partially filled pot proving a point of erasing the free Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter dreams from the Ugandan timeline.

If you want to be a great influencer, we have a simple compilation of tips you can choose to ride on. As a matter of fact, Out of 100 influencers, 80% are meme warners with the rest having a strict touch to their audience. So where do you fall? In the joke-cracking group or the serious camp filling the 20% gap. Let’s find out!

What Kind of Influencer are you?

In Uganda, Influencers are simply netizens that become popular with time and decide to ride on the influencing track in case of an upcoming gig. In simple terms, not every user you see updating his/her profile with different influential hashtags is a certified influencer, these are regular users like you that have discovered what they are and also braced invites by fellow tweeps in the same circle.

So before you choose to become an influencer, ask your self the kind of person you are, what are your interests and what excites your followers each time you post. If you’re the kind of person who loves gossip, entertainment, then fill your timeline with this kind of content you love. Otherwise, If you follow your passion, you’ll attract the right followers to make up your perfect audience.

Know your target audience

One of the technical faults in the African influencing industry is that brands usually don’t follow the kind of influencer they’re hiring up for a gig. However, as time moves on, the digital era of elite marketers will consider this with a keen eye. For instance, why would a bar influencer sideline with a Fintech startup to promote its values? followers would surely ignore whatever comes through from the unfamiliar angle and not spend any second following up the yummy trend.

However, If you keep in touch with what your audience loves to see, then you’re the true influencer amidst being well connected to other tweeps. By keeping your audience in control, 90% of your content will always reach the right person you’re targeting without fail. For instance, Facebook bloggers like Tom Voltaire are known for politics and each follower would always love to see the latest update first.

On Twitter, hidden identity users also exist on the bluebird portal carrying the political flag high and still, followers never miss a tip of an update posted. Henceforth, it’s better to be known as a gossip or jokes influencer than having a duo identity as a technology or travel influencer to keep your audience in touch.

The same concept applies to websites, you can never land on a Tech Point Magazine article with miss curvy contest highlights, but instead landing on a Taxify’s rebranding stunt to Bolt would be one of the suggested articles in the pipeline. All in all, a majority of influencers don’t have a specific category they sideline with, but the new wave could start with you by rejecting a gig or content that doesn’t fit in your category lane as an Influencer.

How active are you

After reading this article from Tech Point Magazine, you’d love to revisit for new articles published on the site, but if you’re disappointed by finding the same exact content every now and then, you’d then back off and unbookmark the site. This is the same scenario when it comes to online Influencing, no one is willing to follow you if your profile is always stagnant with the same kind of posts.

Except for the fact that OTT tax is a huge barrier to influencing in countries like Uganda, nothing else stops you from tickling your smartphone for a few posts daily. More so, your audience grows depending on your online duration ratio. One of the best ways you can achieve this is by posting relevant posts tailored for your audience or even following the trends list for some interesting hashtags on the go.

Know Your Platform and It’s Limits

The more futuristic technologies like 5G and IOT come closer to reality, It’s the more Social Media becomes strict on who accesses it and how it’s accessed. For instance, Facebook Lite, Twitter Lite, and Instagram Lite are apps designed for the low-end smartphone holders as the main apps are still available to those with bulk device resources.

As an Influencer, you have to be glued to a strict platform if you’re to become one of the best. Majority of the high earning influencers in Uganda are found on Twitter, as Facebook and Instagram bloggers still earn big from fan pages and profiles. So, you should choose which platform you’re good at.

For instance, If you’re not a fan of hashtags and mentions, you can choose to create a Facebook fan page and spread your FOMO. However, all these platforms have limits on posting times and content types published, always consider the terms and conditions before progressing to influence on the platform. Otherwise, if you don’t stick to the terms, then your account can be easily revoked/blocked by the platform robots.

Content is King, Use it well

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a digital marketing path contrary to influencing but sharing the same touch and feel to content. You can never rank well if you always feed your audience with the same content. For websites, search engines would not even show your links anywhere near the first 5 pages.

However, if you always feed your audience/followers with sparkling new content depending on your calendar, then you’re on the verge of making some great income from your social media influence. Each time a comment of thanks shoots to your post, it becomes your next point of interest to make your follower much happier with what you post and keep on the watch for new exciting content always.

Feedback is key to your success

Many Influencers believe they have made it in life when they have a rich connection with tweeps and a few clients calling them directly for gigs. Majority of this influencer caliber tend to be extremely arrogant and never take feedback in the best way possible. For instance, if a loyal follower blasts you in a post or suggest you step up, it’s better to take on the feedback and improve.

However, if you’re the kind of Influencer who will always fight fire with fire, then this guide is not for you, as the digital trend will cough your trails away from the web once a new wave checks in. So, it’s not about your temper, its all about you as a brand making a living from what you share to the world. As a matter of fact, if you visited our comments section and blasted us about a less detailed article, we would warmly take your feedback and improve the kind of content we share.

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The Payout Scale of a social media influencer

The basic payout for an influencer in Uganda is usually $15 (UGX 50,000) per gig. However, the rumor drill in Kenya has it that influencers from that eastern wing earn slightly higher because of their favorable social and economic atmosphere. So, influencers around the world all have their basic payouts depending on the economic atmosphere in that zone.

However professional influencers in Uganda jump with a pay-out of approx $50(200,000/=) per gig on a good day. The result of this is because of their bulk following which is at times audited before consideration and the kind of audience they target. As a result, clients are usually pleased with the professional caliber that matches with their target audience.

In a nutshell, being an influencer is not a bad thing, but being a good learner makes you a better netizen than you’ll ever be and further append your bank statement after a heavy budget gig.

Henceforth, Connections are important, but your audience and content rule your online destiny as we shall traverse another path of an online lifestyle without diving into online drop shipping.

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are broad super fast platforms that spread the sad news throughout the country. Nonetheless, media stations got to know of the story through Whatsapp meaning social media highly contributed to the spread of the sad news in Kawanda. But then, Does this stop Government from taxing the platforms? Here are some of the quick tweets that were sent in on Twitter confirming the untimely death of a not so loved by dearly missed politician Hon Ibrahim Abiriga.

I appeal to gov't to acknowledge that we have reached a point when we must have an honest conversation as a nation & find a solution to this crisis. No matter who we are & our political affiliations, no Ugandan should lose his or her life in this gruesome manner. #RIPAbiriga 3/3 pic.twitter.com/wF04cd42e7

— BOBI WINE (@HEBobiwine) June 8, 2018

Deeply saddened by the death of my Muslim Brother Hon.Col Ibrahim Abiriga who has been murdered in the holy month of Ramadan. One of the many things I remember about him is he was a practicing Muslim as well as a jolly man. Innalilahi Wainailayhi Rajuan #RIPAbiriga @nbstv pic.twitter.com/uzOnooPPYs

— Hon. Latif Ssebaggala S. (@LatifSsebaggala) June 8, 2018

Parliament has learnt and confirms that Hon Ibrahim Abiriga,MP Arua Municipality has been shot dead at Kawanda. The Parliamentary Commission sends it condolences to his family, constituents and the country at large. May his soul rest in peace. #RIPAbiriga pic.twitter.com/mALAvY5pO4

— Parliament of Uganda (@Parliament_Ug) June 8, 2018

BREAKING NEWS: Arua Municipality Member of Parliament, Ibrahim Abiriga has been shot.

It is reported that he was shot near Energo fuel station Kawanda while he approached his home.#RIPAbiriga #NBSUpdates pic.twitter.com/Jjt8l121Fd

— NBS Television (@nbstv) June 8, 2018

Do you think Government should really tax social media depending on the response rate as to which the whole country received news of a fallen politician?

[totalpoll id=”4195″]

The Swift Life app developed by Glu Mobil is already in its final stages since Nick Earl CEO & president Glu remarked ” We’ve worked closely with Taylor and her team to bring her creative vision to life.The result is a deeply social environment where Taylor and her fans are able to better connect with one another while expressing themselves in an interactive community.We look forward to its worldwide launch later this year”

According to Taylor Swift this is her idea she would like to bring to life amidst the high competition from top social media platforms including Facebook,twitter and Pintrest that have a great community drive similar to Taylor’s idea dubbed in her whole new idea Swift Life. However This amazing social app is aimed at interacting with Taylor’s fans that’s why its derived from her name Swift,Congratulations to all Taylor swift fans out their who shall be able to easily interact with the superstar and the general fan community

Abs tv a popular tv station owned by one of the city pastors was recently switched off and its license revoked due to accusations of airing pornographic content through its programs that purely violated the media standards, a few days later the station resumed its normal programming which implied that Ucc only revoked the station’s license for days and maybe the owners had to pay inorder to get back on air.

Ucc is known for regulating media programming and revoking any station licenses that don’t meet the right standards,Life tv which is owned by yet another city pastor was switched off and has never come back online ever since its license was revoked due to unclear circumstances between the management and the governing body which is ucc, thus with such uncomplying stations they risk loosing their licenses even though they are many media stations in Uganda which consist of both radio & tv stations.According to Mr Godfrey Mutabazi the executive director all companies that apply for licenses from the body must comply to its standards in order to stay on air and to make sure they broadcast the right content that doesn’t violet any media standards.

In 2016 during the national presidential elections Ucc came into the limelight when it blocked social media usage in the country and various users had to sneek in by using Vpns in-order to access the blocked sites which included Facebook & twitter with claims that this would have incited violence in the nation with unclear elections reporting over these platforms.Feel free to Share with us your thoughts over this official document by UCC in the comment section before