Viewer’s guide to NTV ‘The Memo’ and why tongue-lashing is a no-no
What is The Memo in NTV Tonight? Some viewers seem to think it’s Smriti Vidyarthi sounding off. It’s understandable. Smriti delivers The Memo in a spirited and animated manner.
In TV journalism, the newscaster’s personality, facial expressions, hand gestures and voice inflections can influence the viewer’s perception of the information being communicated.
So it was without surprise when, some two weeks ago, a viewer who watched Smriti deliver a hard-hitting “memo” on Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria greeted her presentation with the words: “The boldness, the choice of words, the tone, the attitude, wow! Here she just had to do it...nikama alisema, awachiwe huyo Kuria adeal nayeye (It’s like she was saying leave Kuria to me to deal with).”
Other viewers linked Smriti directly to the “memo”—as if she was the owner of the opinion. This misconception applies, more or less depending on the personality, to other NTV newscasters, such Zainab Ismail, who also presents The Memo.
It’s so much easier for viewers to identify The Memo with the newscaster when the edition is memorable and hard-hitting. But whose views do The Memo really represent?
A recently introduced but not always used screen sub-head, “NTV’s Weekly Editorial Commentary”, has not settled that question in the minds of many viewers.
Those, in particular, who also watch Citizen TV’s News Gang, in which journalists present their views—dubbed ‘Jamila’s Memo’, ‘Kaikai’s Kicker’, ‘Yvonne’s Take’ and ‘Sam’s Sense’—may be inclined to think the NTV newscasters are also doing their thing.
Voice of the group
They are not. The Memo is an editorial that presents the opinion of Nation Media Group. According to the NMG editorial policy, editorials represent the authoritative voice of the group and are regarded as “the flagship of the various NMG media platforms”.
The trouble with The Memo is that it seems to taint the objectivity of the 9 pm news for a number of reasons. It’s the longest item in the bulletin, sometimes upwards of five minutes. It’s also presented at the beginning of the bulletin, clouding the actual news like a mist over a mountain.
And the newscaster ends The Memo saying: “This is our memo tonight.” That seems to suggest the news that follows has been edited with The Memo in mind. Maybe, just maybe, if The Memo was placed at the end of the news bulletin, the suggestion would disappear and there would be the appearance of separation of opinion from news.
Separation of opinion from news is one of the core values of the NMG editorial policy. Of course, this is easier to achieve in print than broadcast journalism. Opinions, including editorials, in the Nation can be tucked away in designated pages, making it easier for readers to differentiate opinion from news. Editorials on TV, on the other hand, can’t be tucked away from the news. Yet the separation of opinion from news should always be clear to viewers.
The Memo also has an additional problem. Many times it’s too preachy, full of pure emotional rhetoric and insolence.
The main purpose of an editorial is to persuade people to agree to a particular point of view or course of action. The editorial writer appeals to his audiences through ethical arguments and sound reasoning.
He avoids purely emotional rhetoric and tongue-lashing. But too many editions of The Memo are diatribes. And they fall below the high standards set by the Daily Nation editorials.
Compare, for example, the following editorials on the same subject: “The Memo: Court red-cards Ruto” (July 3, 2023) and “Shut out holders of the now-illegal CAS position” (Daily Nation, July 3, 2023); “The Memo: The Media does not operate at Moses Kuria’s pleasure” (June 19, 2023) and “President should protect Kenya from vile officials” (Daily Nation, June 20, 2023); “The Memo: The media, an enemy of the people?” (April 26, 2023) and “Allow full media coverage of Kilifi cult deaths saga” (Daily Nation, April 27, 2023).
In these examples, the NTV editorials shout and point fingers, using emotional rhetoric. The Daily Nation editorials remain civil and dignified, using logical arguments.
Tongue-lashing can never be a substitute for reasoned arguments. Tongue-lashing robs an editorial the dignity and authority that should go with the “flagship” of an NMG media platform and the credibility of an editorial that persuades.
- 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.
