Why responsible journalism is key to peaceful polls
Journalists are supposed to play a neutral role and give every major political player balanced coverage, especially during the campaign period.
The media sensitisation forum convened by the Registrar of Political Parties on July 20 should be aimed at equipping practitioners with a wide array of topical areas to engage responsible media coverage on political parties’ management and conduct during elections.
As the country goes to the General Election on August 9, its media practice is wanting. Many practitioners promote their own views to increase sales, only to spur negative public debate. That is naivety in the interpretation of press freedom.
The conduct of our media is embarrassing, especially when we have talk shows and music played on FM radios and elections as manifestation of decaying role, fake and fact news or even information manipulation and unethical media practices in the name of democratic rights. The journalism profession demands that, before sharing news, one must verify it.
As democracy and press freedom grows in Kenya, journalism as a practice seems to get eroded. The new threat of a combination of unbalanced reporting, censorship and ineptitude is taking over. Media practice is threatened by the enemy within: The institution itself; that is, the media house and not the government. Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja, for instance, recently accused a section of the media of carrying “screaming” headlines about him without even interviewing him personally.
Ironically, the media are unethical in their “freedom”. They publish stories that discuss mainly personalities instead of issues. They also champion debates of rumour mongering instead of pursuing the truth, dwelling on human dignity and equality.
Of late, trending is journalism bordering on sensationalism, gutter press and yellow journalism in the name of “media freedom”. And it is being promoted, posing serious danger to responsible journalism. The conduct of our media and its support structures this electioneering period is worrying. The tone of what is being aired in some vernacular stations leaves a lot to be desired.
Fanning hate
The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) may not fully help to regulate the tendency due to several factors. One, media ownership in itself is a hindrance in so far as responsible and free journalism are concerned. For instance, the culture of fanning hate through media cannot be gainsaid.
Journalism, however, is not merely about reporting events but also passing facts to the audience through truthfulness and balanced information. Journalism is not an arena for peddling perceptions as facts, character assassination and power lobbying, which are short-lived, but an accountable and responsible profession that disseminates only truthful information to the mass population, especially in such times of ripe political propaganda.
Local media should, therefore, correct itself not to abuse the hard-won democratic space and ensure that it is in pursuit of real responsible journalism by retaining the country’s good name and position as the cradle of economic growth in the region.
Mr Kurgat teaches journalism and communication at Moi University. [email protected].
