Brian Semujju

Brian Semujju (6 October 1980 – 3 August 2025) was a Ugandan academic, journalist, and media theorist.[1] A Senior lecturer in the Department of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University, he was known for his research advocating for African perspectives in global media and for developing the Small Systems Dependency Theory (SSDT).[2] He was a recipient of the prestigious Fulbright African Research Scholar Award in 2022.[3]

Academic Work

His most notable theoretical contribution was the Small Systems Dependency Theory (SSDT). This framework analyzed how localized Information dissemination operates through informal Community Audio Towers in rural East Africa, offering an alternative to traditional Mass communication models.[4] Uganda Radio Network discussed the theory following his death and described it as part of his academic work on communication in Uganda.[5] Semujju was awarded the Fulbright African Research Scholar Award. During his fellowship, he served as a Visiting Scholar at the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at the State University of New York in the United States.[6]

Death

Semujju passed away on 3 August 2025 at a hospital in Kampala.[7]

Selected publications

A 2025 memorial in the Makerere Journal of Languages, Literature and Communication noted that Semujju worked on journalism theory, community media, science communication and environmental communication.[8]

  • Semujju, Brian (2014). "Participatory media for a non-participating community: Western media for Southern communities". International Communication Gazette. 76 (2): 197–208. doi:10.1177/1748048513504166.
  • Semujju, Brian (2015). "Frontline farmers, backline sources: Women as a tertiary voice in climate change coverage". Feminist Media Studies. 15 (4): 658–674. doi:10.1080/14680777.2014.946942.

References

  1. ↑ Team, The Observer (2017-10-02). "Meet Dr Semujju, Uganda's nascent scholar of mass communication". The Observer Media Ltd. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  2. ↑ Semujju, Brian (2020-11-01). "Theorizing Dependency Relations in Small Media". Communication Theory. 30 (4): 370–387. doi:10.1093/ct/qtz032. ISSN 1050-3293.
  3. ↑ "Brian Semujju | Fulbright Scholar Program". fulbrightscholars.org. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  4. ↑ Semujju, Brian (2020-11-01). "Theorizing Dependency Relations in Small Media". Communication Theory. 30 (4): 370–387. doi:10.1093/ct/qtz032. ISSN 1050-3293.
  5. ↑ "Makerere Eulogizes Dr Semujju". Uganda Radionetwork. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  6. ↑ "Makerere mourns senior journalism lecturer Dr Brian Semujju". Monitor. 2025-08-04. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  7. ↑ Magere, David (2025-08-08). "Celebrating Life: Makerere lecturer Brian Ssemujju laid to rest". New Vision. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  8. ↑ Kaija, Wilson Akiiki (2025). "In Memoriam: Dr. Brian Semujju". Makerere Journal of Languages, Literature and Communication. 1 (1): 183–186. doi:10.70060/mak-mjllc-2025-114.
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