Masengeli and beyond, or how the words we use shape news bias

The media coverage of the Masengeli drama and presence of “Mr Shrewd” in President William Ruto’s Germany visit shows how seemingly neutral language can shape public perceptions. 

Let’s start with Gilbert Masengeli. He was the acting Inspector-General of Police when Justice Lawrence Mugambi issued a habeas corpus order regarding “The Kitengela Three”, then believed to be in police custody. Mr Masengeli sent his deputy, but the court said he had to appear in person.

The court summoned him seven times but each time he failed to turn up, something the media harped on although it was only one chain of events that began on August 23.

Consequently, Mr Masengeli was convicted in absentia of contempt of court and sentenced to six months imprisonment. However, the court left it open for him to purge the contempt within seven days, which he did, and Justice Mugambi set aside the conviction on September 20.

In the meantime, journalists flooded the airwaves and newspapers with information about Mr Masengeli’s failure to appear in court, often highlighting the sensational details. The news stories swayed public opinion, as journalists made premature judgments on his conduct.

They presented one-sided perspectives, before he could offer his side of the story. The Nation described him as a “Rogue police boss” and the “Face of impunity”. The descriptions were unfair as they implied intentional wrongdoing, which in the end the court didn’t find. Nor did the Nation show evidence that Mr Masengeli willfully refused to appear in court.

Guilt by association

Even after Justice Mugambi accepted his reasons for failing to honour the court summons, the Nation dismissed his reasons as “a laundry list of reasons”. The expression suggests the reasons were too many and therefore not convincing or valid.

The Nation also repeatedly used the phrase “snubbed the court” (and its variants) to describe Mr Masengeli’s failure to appear before the court. Alongside NTV, the newspaper continued to use the phrasing even after the court had accepted his reasons.

The phrase “snubbed the court” implies a deliberate disrespect or an intentional act of defiance. It’s better to use more neutral language like “failed to appear in court”, or “did not respond to the summons”.

However, it was Taifa Leo that showed the most bias using language as a tool to interpret the news. Sample its headlines: “Inspekta Jeuri (Arrogant police boss), “Mwisho Wa Lami” (The end of the road), and “Uongo wa Masengeli” (Masengeli’s lies).

Let’ now turn to the presence of “Mr Shrewd” in President Ruto’s official visit to Germany. On Tuesday this week, the Nation reported that Ceaser King’ori, alias Shrewd, was “hobnobbing with leaders at meetings on overseas work opportunities” during the visit. And his picture appeared below the frontpage headline that reads: “Sh720m jobs fraud suspect who was in Ruto Germany trip.”

The headline creates a negative association, linking President Ruto’s trip with the suspect. It suggests guilt by association, even though the story says he was not part of the President’s delegation. It implies President Ruto’s involvement or at least a lack of awareness of the suspect’s presence.

The Nation could have avoided all this by wording the headline so that it focuses on the fraud itself, rather than the suspect’s presence on his trip. Here’s an alternative headline: “Sh720m jobs fraud suspect exploited Ruto trip to Germany.”

Perceptions of unfair reporting

Nation.Africa did in fact see the problem. Its headline read: “How shrewd jobs fraud suspect exploited President Ruto’s Germany tour”.

Additionally, the story could have emphasised that the suspect’s presence was independent of the official delegation. This could have been achieved with a stronger statement that the suspect was not part of the delegation and specifically mentioning that he was not involved in the jobs signing ceremony.

The story could also have avoided using language that implies a connection between President Ruto and the suspect. For example, “hobnobbing with leaders”. Moreover, the story could have shifted the narrative away from the suspect’s presence on the trip and focused on the fraud investigation and the victims.

In both the Masengeli drama and presence of “Mr Shrewd” in President Ruto’s visit, the Nation could have avoided any phrasing that leads to perceptions of bias and unfair reporting.

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.