Daily Nation’s ‘filthy rich’ headline, accuracy and fairness in news reporting

Filthy rich hustlers. The Daily Nation headline on Tuesday was an unfair description of the five Cabinet Secretary nominees vetted the previous day.

The front page headline was sensational and amounted to comment about their suitability.

The five were Musalia Mudavadi, Aden Duale, Justin Muturi, Dr Alfred Mutua and Alice Wahome.

Other nominees who were vetted on Tuesday and Wednesday didn’t have the “filthy rich” epithet thrown at them, even though they were also millionaires.

They were given other descriptor headlines—such as “Battling ghosts from the past” for those who appeared on Tuesday.

Readers who didn’t read past the headline and pictures—and studies show 80 per cent of readers don’t—took away the only message, that the ‘Gang of Five’ are filthy rich and probably shouldn’t be confirmed.

The term “filthy rich” has two meanings. First, it means “very rich”.

Secondly, it means someone has become rich by using unfair or dishonest means.

From the lines below the headline promoting the story, there is no doubt the meaning intended is the negative connotation of acquiring wealth by unethical or dishonest means. The message was that these nominees are stinking rich.

The story compounds their worth to come up with a startling global figure.

The headline “First five CS nominees worth a combined Sh6.2 billion” is spread across two adjoining pages inside the paper.

Mr Mudavadi alone is worth Sh4 billion. He is an outlier who skews the average net worth. Ms Wahome, poor her, is worth only 281 million, which is far below the Sh1.24 billion average.

It’s clear what the Nation was doing: If a story involves money, the bigger the amount, the better the story.

The effect of this was to give the impression that the net worth of the Gang of Five was a surprising or poignant revelation regarding their suitability.

“Follow the money”, the headline seems to beckon, and you will find how unsuitable the nominees are.

Pro-poor

Promoting the story, the Nation Facebook page talks of the “combined net worth of Sh6.19 billion, a significant amount of wealth for the people who will man a government the Head of State had in the campaigns said will be pro-poor.”

This is the same theme pursued in the lead paragraph of the story. The next seven paragraphs are devoted to this.

However, wealth declaration is a statutory requirement for people aspiring for top government positions.

It’s a self-declaration, not an audit. Its purpose is to help in the fight against corruption as it enables the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to detect corruption among top public servants during their employment.

It is used in the sense of “before and after”. In the confirmation hearing, wealth declaration is a procedural requirement, very much similar to producing degree certificates or clearance certificates from KRA or Helb.

Accuracy and fairness is a fundamental objective of NMG journalism. It requires reporting fairly, accurately and without bias. This objective was not strictly followed.

The word “hustlers” was used in the headline with quotation marks, meaning it was not the writer who described them as hustlers but somebody else—or that the writer did not really believe they were hustlers.

The effect of the headline is to ridicule the claim by the Gang of Five that they are hustlers.

The headline and the accompanying story also seem to suggest that hustlers are supposed to be poor, or that they cannot acquire wealth.

This interpretation of the hustler movement is not supported by a reading of “The Kenya Kwanza Plan: The Bottom-Up Economic Agenda 2022-2027”, the manifesto of the new government. 

The takeaway from all this is that headlines are critical in framing the message of a news story. Let the reader beware.

* * *

Towards the end of his confirmation hearing as the Prime Cabinet Secretary on Monday, Mr Mudavadi advocated open government. 

“Let it not be a government of rumour-mongering,” he said. “This is what we want to try and avoid. We want to have an open government. We want to be able to have the facts on the table. Our principle of accountability, transparency, must be at the forefront of what we do.”

This is music to journalists’ ears. Let’s hold him to account. 

What’s wrong with Mudavadi being rich?

I refer to your headline story “Filthy rich hustlers” (Daily Nation, Oct. 18, 2022). 

I think you people are misusing the Press. What is wrong with Musalia Mudavadi saying he is worth Sh4 billion and calling himself a hustler?

— 0716***087

* * *

We love to read ‘retired journalists’

Ngure Kamau reckons that retired journalists should be told “to go and rest” (Readers Have Their Say, Daily Nation, Oct. 7, 2022).

While he’s entitled to his opinion, I think the Nation has a mix of journalists and columnists covering a range of age groups that is a reflection of the readership and, indeed, the general population.

As an older citizen, I appreciate the contributions of the “retired” journalists for their knowledge, historical perspective and depth of analysis.

On the other hand, I enjoy the younger writers for new outlooks as well as subjects that did not exist when I was their age.

I know several people who buy the newspaper on specific days to read particular columns—many of them by the “retired journalists”. These readers are as much customers of the Nation as Mr Ngure.

The tone of Mr Ngure’s email is, to say the least, impolite. Why is politics the domain to which he allows older people to be relegated (or is it promoted)? Shouldn’t that also be left to the youth?

— Wandia Seaforth

* * *

Obsession with a Ngugi wa Thiong’o Nobel

I refer to your story “Heartbreak for Ngugi wa Thiong’o fans as French author bags Literature Nobel Prize” (Daily Nation, Oct. 6, 2022). 

The obsessive lament about the Nobel Prize for Literature eluding Prof Ngugi wa Thiong’o (every year!) is now stale, and irritating. 

It’s not his birthright. NMG should get over it. — (Name withheld)

* * *

‘Nation’ ban: Let’s know the villains

I refer to Today in History (Daily Nation, Oct. 17, 2020) regarding the lifting of the ban by Parliament for Nation reporters to cover the National Assembly. 

For the younger generation, it’s imperative that you give the background of the infamous ban. 

The architect of the ban was Kalonzo Musyoka, the then Deputy Speaker. As the Fourth Estate enjoy media freedom, let’s know the heroes and villains in the Second Liberation struggle.

— Githaiga Kairu
 

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