Editorial Policy

The New Light Paper (NLP) is committed to delivering accurate, fair, and independent journalism to readers in Uganda and across Africa. This Editorial Policy explains how our newsroom operates, the standards our reporters follow, and the principles that guide every story we publish.

Our Mission

The New Light Paper exists to inform the public through honest reporting on news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, health, and current affairs in Uganda, Africa, and the wider world. We believe a well-informed public is essential to a functioning democracy, and we take that responsibility seriously.

Ownership and Editorial Independence

The New Light Paper is published by New Light Communications U Limited, a subsidiary of Koom Holdings U Limited. While we are a privately owned publication, our editorial decisions are made independently of our commercial interests. Advertisers, sponsors, and business partners have no influence over our news coverage.
A clear separation exists between the business operations of the company and the editorial direction of the publication. The Editor-in-Chief holds final authority on all editorial and newsroom decisions. The Founder and Managing Director holds final authority on commercial, administrative, and strategic decisions, but does not override editorial judgement.

Our Team

Business and Administration
Gad Masereka – Founder and Managing Director
Kabugho Rehab – General Manager (Administration and Operations)
Editorial
Mukidi Hannington – Editor-in-Chief
Ivan Kaahwa – Senior Political and Security Reporter
Richard Onapatum – General News Reporter
Chris Ainebyona – Staff Writer

Stories outside our reporters’ regular beats are bylined as “NLP Newsroom” and reflect the collective work of our editorial team.

Verification Standards

Every story published by The New Light Paper is checked for factual accuracy before publication. We strive to verify claims through primary sources, including official statements, named individuals, court documents, government communications, and press releases. We seek comment from people or organizations named in our reporting where possible. When verification is incomplete or a key party has not responded, this is disclosed in the article.
We do not knowingly publish unverified rumours, anonymous claims without corroboration, or content that we cannot stand behind editorially.

Sources and Attribution

Information in our stories is attributed to its source whenever possible. We rely primarily on named, on-the-record sources. Where confidentiality is necessary to protect a source from reasonable harm, we may grant anonymity, but only when the information is of clear public interest and has been verified through additional means. The decision to use an anonymous source rests with the Editor-in-Chief.

Sponsored and Paid Content

The New Light Paper accepts sponsored content, advertising, and paid editorial features as part of our business model. We follow strict rules to keep this separate from our news reporting:
All sponsored content is clearly labelled as “Sponsored Content” and published under our dedicated Sponsored Content category.
Advertisers and sponsors have no editorial input on our news coverage.
Payment for an advertisement, sponsored article, or feature does not guarantee or influence favourable news coverage.

Our editorial team is not involved in selling advertising, and our commercial team is not involved in editorial decisions.
Readers can always identify sponsored content by its category label and disclosure statement.

Corrections and Accuracy

When we make a mistake, we correct it. Errors of fact are corrected as soon as they are identified, and significant corrections are noted at the bottom of the affected article with the date and nature of the correction. Readers who believe we have published inaccurate information can contact us through our Corrections Policy, and we will investigate every concern raised in good faith.

Fairness and Right of Reply

We are committed to fair reporting. People and organizations subject to critical coverage are given a reasonable opportunity to respond before publication. Where a response cannot be obtained before deadline, we note this in the article and update the story once a response is received.

Ethics and Professional Conduct

Our reporters are expected to follow basic ethical standards:
We do not accept gifts, payments, or favours from sources or subjects of our reporting in exchange for coverage.
We do not fabricate quotes, sources, or events.
We do not plagiarise. Material drawn from other publications is properly credited.
We do not engage in deception to obtain information, except in rare cases of clear public interest, and only with editorial approval.
We protect the privacy of private individuals, particularly minors, victims of crime, and vulnerable persons.

Use of AI Tools

We may use artificial intelligence tools to assist with research, transcription, translation, and editorial workflow. However, all final reporting decisions, factual claims, and published copy are reviewed and approved by human editors. We do not publish AI-generated content as original journalism.

Editorial Authority

The Editor-in-Chief has final authority on what is published, how it is framed, and when it is corrected or retracted. The Founder and Managing Director holds overall responsibility for the publication as a business but does not override editorial decisions made by the Editor-in-Chief on grounds of commercial interest.

Contact

Concerns about our editorial standards, accuracy, or this policy can be sent to our editorial team through the Contact Us page on our website. We take every reader concern seriously and respond within a reasonable time.

Last updated: May, 27th, 2026
Publisher: New Light Communications U Limited
Parent Company: Koom Holdings U Limited