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Josephat Muchere with one of his huskies at his home in Mtwapa, Kilifi County.
Video has become an important part of the Nation story telling. News, interviews, and expert commentary are sometimes produced in a video format because visuals attract audiences. A well-produced video can be compelling and memorable.
But not all the Nation videos are created equal: The video, “Meet Josephat Muchere who rears ornamental huskies for a living,” falls short of the expected standards.
Posted four weeks ago on YouTube, the video propagates some information about huskies that is not true. It’s poorly produced and edited. Even the title is not in keeping with what’s in the video, which has attracted more than 200 views. It opens with this statement: “I’m a property dealer. My hobby is farming, keeping livestock and pets like dogs and some ornamental birds.”
He talks uninterrupted – except by the barking of his dogs – for nine minutes and 28 seconds. It looks like the Nation interviewer didn’t do any research before interviewing Mr Muchere. He lets him say things about huskies that are factually wrong.
Husky is the name used for a dog used in the Arctic mainly to pull sleds over snow. It’s noted for its hardiness, high energy and tolerance for cold weather. Also known as Alaskan or Siberian husky, it’s also kept as a pet. It’s said to be friendly, good with children, but needs plenty of room to run and be active. It doesn’t like being cooped up all day.
Mr Muchere keeps his huskies in Mombasa. Many husky lovers doubt it’s a good idea to keep huskies in such a hot climate.
But the main problem with the video is factual information, not opinion. He says a husky is “just like a wolf” and “behaves like a wolf”. He also says it is “a breed that came from Cuba”. The video goes on to propagate other false information. But let me bring in a reader who has complained about the video.
Naomi Mutua, in fact, wants the video pulled down because it is factually wrong and misleading. “As an animal welfare activist, myself and many others feel this interview should be pulled down,” she says.
Contrary to the suggestion in the video, she says, huskies are not wolves and are not meant for hunting. “They are winterland animals meant for hauling and their origin is not Cuba. They’re from the cold winter of Siberia, not the tropics of Cuba! That’s why they are called Siberian Huskies.”
Mr Muchere imported his huskies from Egypt. Ms Mutua says breeding standards in Egypt may be lacking and the country has become the home of animal millers of low standards. “We should promote better animal welfare from breeders,” she says.
Ms Mutua is also unhappy with the way Mr Muchere keeps his huskies. “The dogs are so poorly kept and groomed; obvious from how they look. They require a good understanding of grooming because they shed heavily as they have a double coat.”
She says huskies require a lot of work to expend their energy and are known to be destructive when they don’t get enough exercise. “Going out to play at 4pm is not enough exercise for a husky. Feeding on kibble (biscuits) does not guarantee good dental health, nor does it guarantee parasite eradication! They must be dewormed medically and vaccinated. And Mombasa is known for the aggressive presence of heart worms.”
She says huskies howl a lot but they are not wolves. And they should not be kept in a hot climate. “Poor huskies, they should not be in the tropical heat of Mombasa. Kenya is not a well suited climate for them. (Mr Muchere) admits the dogs are not friendly to kids, so that again points to the lack of good and professional training and handling. We should only be promoting registered dog breeders who are maintain ethical and global breeding standards.”
Should the video be taken down? The NMG editorial policy has a criteria for taking down news items or graphics. One of the criteria, which is applicable in this case, is that the story is inaccurate and untruthful in such a way it cannot be corrected without writing a new story or, as in this case, producing a new video. So the video should be withdrawn.
- The Public Editor is an independent news ombudsman who handles readers’ complaints on editorial matters including accuracy and journalistic standards. Email: [email protected]. Call or text 0721989264
