watching the watchdog - media council of kenya · 2018-11-12 · the right noises about the media...
TRANSCRIPT
1The Media ObserverJANUARY- MARCH 2015
BSERVER
Watching the Watchdog
A Publication of the Media Council of Kenya Issue 40 October 2018
... and promoting media conversations
1
Issue 31 , 06 August 2018
EDITORIAL
Dear Scribe,
This is Issue number 40 of 2018. It’s quite a milestone
having started just the other day. Your readership motivates
us to want to write more. Keep it up and keep the feedback
coming.
Now, we start the issue on a congratulatory tone, one
Joseph Jamenya, a Star reporter has been in the news for
noble reasons: Earlier in the year he announced he will run
for 400KM from Vihiga to Nairobi to raise 60 million
shillings to help put up a center for heart diseases. Yes, he
run finishing the race in April albeit in difficult conditions.
His efforts paid off – recently Dr Wilber K. Ottichilo,
Vihiga Governor made Jamanya’s dreams a reality when he
opened an 8 million cardiac centre at Vihiga Referral
hospital. The Observer Congratulates Bwana Jamenya for
the gallant achievement.
In past reports the Observer has indicated that journalists
have a duty to simplify data (especially complex figures and
percentages) for easy consumption by the readers. Well, a
quick scan by the observer concludes that Daily Nation
scribes led the pack this week in ensuring the reader
understands and relates to the figures in a story.
The Observer has picked for you some examples. Read on.
The attack by police on James Omoro in Homa Bay
County was in bad taste, the acts by police to destroy his
equipment can only be termed criminal. The Observer
adds its voice in condemning such acts and urges the
police to respect and uphold Media Freedom.
Placement of stories in the newspapers can be subjective
or objective depending on the angle of any story. The
Observer notes with concern The Star’s story on Non
Communicable Diseases: The decision by the editor to
give it a pure business angle was in bad light. Diseases
killing people cannot be celebrated as opportunities to
make money. Or can they truly be celebrated? Really?
In the Mediascape, Murang’a County Governor Mwangi
wa Iria has lately been very vocal on Ndakaini Dam. The
Observer notes that little has been done to tell the whole
story – what really is happening? Are there other
incidences that can better contexualise wa Iria’s
sentiments? Well, is it not true that a well-researched story
creates more understanding and gives a better perspective?
Dear Scribes let us investigate.
For these and more intriguing stories, we present to you
Issue #40, enjoy the read.
Issue 31 , 06 August 20182
MEDIA REVIEWS
The latest findings in a survey by the Ethics and
Anti-Corruption Commission appear to confirm a thesis
the Observer put forward last week. The survey shows that
most Kenyans pay bribes to get nearly every government
service.
Our argument was built on Nigerian historian Moses
Ochonu’s somewhat startling contention that eliminating
corruption would hurt a lot of people. In a country with
sharp inequalities, and as long as there are no efforts to
ensure quality services to citizens, there are many people
whose only chance of getting anything from government is
through corruption.
The government workers in charge of those services
openly charge bribes for them because that is how the
system works. They probably got their jobs by paying a
bribe. They share the collection with their seniors and so
they can act with impunity because they are well protected.
Corruption is systemic and must be addressed holistically.
Dramatized high profile arrests and arraignment only serve
to increase the government’s bonga points. Nothing more.
Media coverage of the EACC survey findings fell into the
usual trap of splashing bland numbers.
“Chiefs and cops top graft list, shows EACC survey”, the
Star headline read (October 2, p.2). Now, everyone knows
police officers and those colonial era dinosaurs entombed
in badly tailored khaki suits and funny helmets are the worst
bribe-takers in Kenya. Police have always topped
corruption surveys, so it is unlikely this angle to the story
would attract anything other than a big yawn.
Breathe life into those dead numbers
The story was full of percentages of the respondents who
thought this or that state institution was the more corrupt.
KBC online ran the story along similar lines. “Police service
still ranked most corrupt institution in Kenya,” the headline
read.
For some reason, the People Daily did not carry a story on the
survey. But the paper had a report about Civil Service CS
Margaret Kobia praising Huduma centres for providing
excellent services. But the EACC survey shows Huduma
centres are dens of corruption.
The Nation had by far the best reporting. One headline read,
“Survey shows number of people who paid bribes to get
services has risen” (October 2, p.4). Of course this headline
could be sexed up a lot more.
“Each time you walk into a government office to seek services,
be sure to have at least Sh5,000 in your pocket because that is
the average that will be demanded of you in bribes,” the report
started.
“And if you are seeking a government tender, your starting
figure will be in the region of Sh100,000, a survey by the
Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has shown.”
Issue 31 , 06 August 20183
in Kericho to access government services, a survey by the
anti-corruption agency has shown.
In an infographic on the front-page, the Nation showed that
it will costs an average of Sh3,668 to obtain a death
certificate, Sh2,237 to report a crime to the police or write a
statement, Sh1,472 to obtain a police abstract and Sh961.82
to receive medical attention in a public hospital.
The common thing in the Nation stories is that the writers
help the reader make sense of the numbers – right from the
word go. The reader is able to immediately relate to the
numbers.
Nchi ya kitu kidogo is how singer Eric Wainaina depicted
this miserable neo-colonial contraption left behind by the
British - and now being mortgaged to the Chinese.
“Two in three Kenyans rank the Interior ministry as the
most corrupt, with three in 10 saying they had paid bribes in
the chief ’s office and police stations while seeking
government services, a survey has shown”, the Nation
reported in another story.
And in yet another, the paper reported: “Kenyans living in
Mandera County part with bribes 70 times more than those
Expose Homa Bay rot without fear
The MCK team made prior appointments with senior
police officers in Homa Bay, leaders of the county assembly
and Governor Cyprian Owiti’s office. The arrangement was
to engage the police and the county government on safety
of journalists. A half-day workshop was scheduled, bringing
together journalists covering the county, police and
representatives of the County government.
But the MCK rapid response team was met by empty offices
at the county assembly and the governor’s office.
Apparently, everyone had travelled to Nairobi for an
important function. It was a telling sign.
The team met a representative of the police who made all
the right noises about the media being free to do its job,
police being ready to collaborate with reporters, the need
for better relations, blah, blah.
Neither the police nor the Homa Bay county government
bothered to send a representative to the workshop on safety
of journalists. It was yet another telling sign.
At the workshop, reporters recounted the hostility they face
In February this year, the Media Council of Kenya
dispatched a rapid response team to Homa Bay County on
a fact-finding mission about reported attacks on journalists
by police officers. The security officers allegedly descended
on the scribes as they went to cover proceedings in the
County Assembly.
from the police and officials of the county government,
making it difficult to undertake their duties.
Homa Bay County was back in the spotlight last week about
safety of journalists. Standard Group reporter James Omoro
was attacked on October 2 by police officers and his camera
destroyed. Omoro had gone to cover resumption of sittings
at the county assembly after a recess.
The session was marred by chaos over the leadership of the
county assembly. MCAs aligned to Majority leader Richard
Ogindo and those on the side of Kanyadoto representative
Walter Were locked horns over the assembly’s ODM
leadership. Rebel MCAs who purport to have fired Ogindo
are facing disciplinary action by ODM.
Omoro was reportedly caught up in the melee in the
assembly. But the police did not spare Omoro even after he
identified himself as a journalist. This, plus the fact that the
officers proceeded to take away his camera and destroy it,
suggests Omoro was no merely a victim of a chaotic
situation. Police targeted him.
Homa Bay is a troubled county, not simply because of the
power wrangles in the assembly. The county is mired in
corruption scandals involving colossal sums of money. And
this, of course, is a matter that interests journalists in their
4 Issue 31 , 06 August 2018
watchdog role.
Seven county officials were recently arrested over corruption
following an order by the Director of Public Prosecutions
Noordin Haji. One of the officers is county assembly clerk
Bob Kephas Otieno who is accused of wiring Sh26.2 million
from the county coffers to his wife’s account. The money was
disguised as payment for goods and services, which were
never actually delivered.
From the experiences reporters shared during the safety
workshop in February, some powerful forces within the
county working in cahoots with the police do not want this
rot exposed. That is why reporters are targeted.
The attack on James Omoro is abhorrent. He was simply
doing his job. Omoro – and every journalist – is duty bound
to expose corruption and hold power to account. Journalism
is not a crime. It is professional work expressly protected by
the Constitution of Kenya.
The county government of Homa Bay and the police must
understand this. And the journalists in Homa Bay must
dedicate themselves to exposing the rot there with
professional tenacity and without fear or favour. They owe
this duty to the residents of Homa Bay and the people of
Kenya.
Insensitive story on NDCs Non-communicable diseases are the leading causes of death
locally and globally.
President Uhuru Kenyatta last week called on international
pharmaceutical companies to reduce the cost of medicines
for NCDs. He said fair pricing and ethical practices would
ensure patients afford the life-saving medicines. He was
addressing a plenary session on the prevention and control
of NCDs at the 73rd session on United Nations General
Assembly in New York.
NCDs kill 41 million people each year, representing 71 per
cent of all deaths globally, according to the World Health
Organisation.
The main types of NCDs are cardiovascular diseases (like
heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory
diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and
asthma) and diabetes.
NCDs are responsible for over 55 per cent of deaths in
Kenya, according to the Health ministry. The diseases
account for more than 50 per cent of hospital admissions.
What is the implication of these grim stats?
According to the Star newspaper (October 2, p.14), the East
African Community sees these figures as a golden
opportunity for minting money. The story was titled, “Drug
makers urged to up their game.”
“Drug manufacturers in Kenya and other East African
countries have been challenged to take advantage of the
increase of non-communicable diseases to expand their
market in the region,” the report said.
The article cited the EAC’s Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Plan of Action 2017-2027 which, according to the author of
the story, says “the increase of NDC and other infectious
diseases should be seen as opportunities by local
manufacturers.”
This is strange reporting! Diseases kill people. They cannot
be celebrated as opportunities to make money. We are losing
our humanity in our pre-occupation with money.
Obviously, the EAC in its Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Plan of Action is not asking anyone to take advantage of
increasing NCDs to expand their markets. That is the
reporter’s interpretation of the document. He put those
words in the plan of action.
It is unfortunate that people, including journalists, have come
to believe that the most important thing in life is to make
money. The Star story was, unsurprisingly, placed in the
business pages.
3 Issue 31 , 06 August 20185
Journalists rarely appear in positive stories. If they are not in
the news because the security forces harassed them, then
they are part of some sinister high drama, as in the case of
Citizen TV’s Jackie Maribe. The only time there are good
reports about journalists is when one wins an award or is
appointed to some post by the state or some other body –
like Lands CS Faridah Karoney.
But a journalist can have a remarkable impact on society
outside their professional mandate. That is the case of the
Star reporter in Vihiga Joseph Jamenya. The scribe has been
in the news since the start of the year when he announced
he would run 400km from Vihiga to Nairobi to raise Sh60
million to build a centre for heart diseases.
Jamenya’s initiative was motivated by personal loss. He lost
his father to a heart-related disease last year. “Two months
later, my mother was diagnosed with heart blockage,” the
journalist wrote.
“The Sh300,000 I had saved for farming was only enough for
a few tests at a private hospital in Kisumu. She needed a
further Sh600,000 for specialised treatment in Nairobi.
Instead, she was admitted in Kisumu for one month, until the
family ran out of money. She didn't get the pacemaker but
now survives on medication.”
Vihiga deputy governor Patrick Saisi flagged off Jamenya and
his team at Vihiga County Referral Hospital on March 5. He
crossed the finish line at the Railways headquarters, Nairobi,
on April 8 – after a grueling race that tested his endurance and
exposed him to numerous risks along the way.
Last week, Jamenya saw his dream come true. Vihiga
governor Wiber Otchillo opened the Sh8 million cardiac
centre at Vihiga Referral Hospital on Saturday, September 29,
which is World Heart Day. “My ailing mother and other heart
patients can be assured of treatment at the cardiac unit,”
Jamenya said at the function.
Governor Otchillo said the unit will offer treatment at a
subsidized fee. It will be run by a specialist from Canada and
will be upgraded at a cost of Sh40 million in January.
Congratulations, ndugu Jamenya!
Drop clichés, they’re annoying
Congrats on your big heart, Jamenya
Last week alone, Kenya’s mainstream newspapers repeated
this annoying cliché at least three times: “only time will tell”.
It’s enough. Really.
The Star was the biggest culprit with two offences on the
same page in the same sidebar, ‘Corridors of Power’.
Friday October 5: “Could some powerful forces be
engineering Constitution change through referendum? Well,
only time will tell.”
Tuesday, October 2: Could the bribery claims against a
first-term MP who allegedly facilitated the shooting down of
a report on the contraband sugar scandal have catapulted the
MP’s political influence at the grassroots? “Only time will tell
whether the MP will contest for the [Governor’s] seat.”
What the heck does “only time will tell” even mean?
The Nation ran the same cliché last Friday. In a story by Elvis
Ondieki titled, “Friends describe Maribe as an easy-going
person who knows her work,” the paper wrote in its October
5 issue, page 5: “Time will tell how her courage will measure
up against the twists and turns” of the murder case facing the
Citizen TV anchor.
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A search online showed that in the last six months the
Nation has printed the same cliché at least 22 times; the Star,
13 times, 12 of these under ‘Corridors of Power’ and; the
Standard, six times.
In every instance, all these sign-offs were useless. Bure
kabisa. Useless, because they filled precious space and stole
the reader’s time with nothing new, nothing meaningful.
It’s sister expression, “it remains to be seen” is equally
meaningless, tired and annoying.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines cliché as “a phrase
or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original
thought; a very predictable or unoriginal thing or person.”
Now, it doesn’t mean a cliché has no value. A meal that
includes waru, minji and carrots is a cliché in central Kenya.
It doesn’t mean a meal with these three constants is not
delicious or nutritious. It’s just not original. The hallmark of
good journalism is original reporting.
However, newspapers are the least offenders on clichés.
Editors tend to catch most abuse and fix them before stories
go to print. Broadcast media, on the other hand, presents
the most landmines for clichés. Reporters filing stories from
the field often go live with unprepared script. The brain will
tend to clutch at familiar phrases, including clichés, to tell a
story. With a microphone, it takes staller alertness and skill to
report every broadcast story in original prose.
When they slip, producers could help steer stories out of
cliché landmines by whispering constructively in the
reporter’s ear.
Jeff Rowe, an American journalist since 1975, has a list of
clichés, redundancies and euphemisms that will put even
Kenyans to sleep. In his 2005 book, Broadcast News Writing
for Professionals, Rowe says clichés sap the life out of a story
just like a whiff of sewage can ruin a party.
• Moved to court – means nothing, really.• Fighting for his life – if you’re critically ill, you cannot be fighting.
• No stone will be left unturned – we’re still waiting for any stone to be unturned on Robert Ouko’s 1990
murder.
• The devil is in the details – just show us the detail, we’ll decide if the devil is in it.
• Begs the question – unless used properly (and so rarely used properly that it’s not worth the trouble).
• Needless to say – then don’t say it.• Suffice it to say – if it suffices, then just say it.• Famously – if readers know it, you don’t need to tell
them it is famous; if they don’t know it, you just made them
feel stupid.
• Think outside the box – what is that “box”, exactly?• Tragic accident – every accident is tragic. Just say what happened and let the audience decide if it’s
tragic.
• Begs more questions than answers – roll eyes.
Instead of clichés, it’s better to tell simply and specifically
what happened. When tempted to use a cliché, get a good
verb instead, says Rowe. A good simile or metaphor will
bring what you’re trying to describe more vividly to life. So
instead of saying a “brutal murder” (is there such a thing as a
gentle murder), “the victim’s head was pocked with dents
where her attacker’s hammer had struck” paints the picture
more informatively.
Good writers avoid using extra words. They slow down a
story. Practice brevity. Two words should not be used where
one will suffice.
• He will personally – how else would he?• Complete stranger – can there be an incomplete stranger?
• Controversial issues – by definition, an issue is controversial. No need to use both words.
• Hotly contested – a contest is usually hot• Future plans – all plans are future. • Nose dive – a dive is head (OK, nose) first. Otherwise, it's a jump.
• Past history – all history is past. • Unanswered questions – a question always lacks an answer.
Not even quotes justify rampant use of clichés. Ok, you can’t
put the right words in a subject’s mouth. But you have a
choice to pick quotes that inform, quotes that add meaning.
Clichés don’t add any value to a story. They tell your audience
nothing new. So just drop them.
*******
The Star sold its October 6-7 weekend paper with an empty
headline, “Maribe to face murder charge.” If you stopped on
the street and without picking the paper read that headline
and its subheading, “9mm bullet found in her bedroom links
her to prime suspect Irungu,” you did not need to buy the
paper. That was the whole story. Nothing in the subsequent
two-page spread told anything new about the unresolved
murder of Monica Kimani, for which the police arrested
Citizen TV Anchor Jacque Maribe and her fiancé Joseph
Irungu. Nothing.
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For those who do not know, Murang’a governor Mwangi
wa Iria rode to power on his second name - wa Iria,
meaning son of milk in Gikuyu language.
You can take it to the bank that Mwangi’s father is not Iria.
Neither is his mother.
Now, milk is known for nourishing the world. Romulus -
Rome’s founder - was nourished on wolf milk.
Milk has not been known for birthing babies. Which makes
wa Iria the first man in the world to have milk for a father.
Of late, it seems wa Iria is tired of his current surname. We
are witnessing a rebirth; a metamorphosis of Mwangi from
wa Iria to ‘wa Mai’ - son of water.
The son is father to the man, and the emerging Mwangi wa
Mai will be stronger than Mwangi wa Iria - thanks to how
we have been covering his “row” with Nairobi in his
demand for a piece of Ndakaini dam water bills.
Truth is, we started playing Mwangi wa Mai’s godfathers in
his baptism as soon as he first floated the proposal
sometimes back.
First, we ignored it. One would have heard the tongue
clicking and smirking looks in our newsrooms. It was then
not news. As far as we were concerned, Mwangi wa Iria was
not serious.
MEDIASCAPE
We wrote his suggestion off after a brief mention. It was not
news.
We were wrong: When man bites a dog, it is news alright, but
when a dog barks at water, there might be something
beneath the surface.
Perhaps the only journalist who came very close to reporting
the story right was the Nation’s Charles Obbo in is
Thursday’s column aptly titled, “Mwangi wa Iria is not a mad
man”.
Now, we are not in the business of flattering people but
Obbo offered precious lessons on why we must not ignore
‘mad people’ in our coverage.
He argued that if all journalists learnt to scratch beneath the
surface of the most innocuous comment or action by our
politicians, they might land a bigger story than the boring
“He said” She said” today and “He replied”, “She relied” the
next day.
What Obbo did was cleverly connect Mwangi wa Iria’s water
tax demand to the bigger picture: that water, though known
for putting out fires, has lit some of the biggest fires across
the world.
Obbo did what any journalist worth their title ought to have
done while reporting the Mwangi wa Iria aka Mwangi wa
Water tax story: He gave us the bigger picture.
Obbo connected the Ndakaini story to Nigeria, South Africa
and Ethiopia. Closer to home, he connected it to the Laikipia
ranch invasions and the charcoal war between governors
Ferdinard Waititu and Charity Ngilu (toss in the raging Mau
conflict!)
We are confident, that had he more space, Obbo would have
connected governor wa Iria to the entire world: As early as
2015, the UN warned that water will be one of the biggest
sources of conflict in the world in the 21st century.
Obbo offered a precious lesson last week: That in our
reportage, we must always search for the bigger picture, we
Random thoughts on Kenya’s media
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must begin to realise that nothing in this world happens in
isolation.
We must, like the English poet William Blake put it, seek to
see a world in a grain of sand. Either this, or we will
continue to report “He said”, “She said/” - until we report
ourselves out of the streets.
GUEST COLUMN
strive to inject professionalism in their craft, others thrive on
controversy or ride on explicit content to create a buzz.
Over the years, there has been a public debate about whether
radio presenters should go on air solely on the basis of raw
talent. Is the gift of the garb, a great sense of humour or
spontaneity in front of the microphone trump journalistic
training? What is learnt in a journalism class or is self-taught
after a considerable duration of professional exposure is
important.
Competition is forcing radio owners to explore unique and
sometimes outlandish radio programme formats. Delivery of
talk radio content employs both conventional and
unorthodox approaches to convince audiences to stay much
longer on a given frequency and scoop a chunk of the market
share and ratings.
Radio shows are rigorously crafted to ideally attract
maximum appeal for audiences. Here is where radio stations
have been compelled to look elsewhere for radio talent; not
among certificate, diploma and degree holders of journalism
related studies and credentials but amongst a pool of
recycled radio presenters, popular singers, actors and
comedians without a media background.
The general thinking has been the popularity of these
individuals in other platforms like social media will translate
into an increase in the audience base. Fans will follow the
personality to the radio stations. These approach sometimes
banks on the old adage that controversy sells.
While this argument is debatable, it cannot be ignored that
the majority of popular radio presenters in Kenya do not
have a background in journalism- yet they have managed to
craft and create compelling radio products.
Radio has a responsibility to educate, inform and entertain. It
takes journalistic skills to balance the delivery of these
Radio needs training but also flair
Isaac Sagala
In the public eye, a journalist and a radio presenter (show
host) are synonymous. But this is not always the case. In
contemporary times, it is argued that journalism is an
activity rather than a job – the act of disseminating news to
the public through a guided process. Radio presenters on
the other hand are the voice of the station, creating a tone,
style and even hype of the radio output.
Kenyan media has undergone a steady evolution since the
liberalization of the airwaves in the 1990s. Radio is
considered the most popular medium for accessing
information owing to a relatively cheaper purchase cost,
mobility and a wider reach. It has become highly
competitive, dynamic and many-faced. Radio presenters
are increasingly holding clout and becoming public
influencers.
With radio stations in their hundreds, media houses come
with a galaxy of presenters in all shades, tones and pitches.
These individuals are tasked with securing the radio brand
and cutting across the airwaves to convert listeners into
adherents of the gospel of the station broadcasting in
English, Swahili or vernacular. While some presenters
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roles and remain factual, accurate, impartial and
responsible. Audiences are also drawn by the appeal of the
presenters, informed by their personal qualities as
individuals, some which cannot be taught in class. A person
could have all the knowledge provided in a journalism class
and lack flair, flamboyance and appeal, the fuel that keeps
the engine of a radio show running.
The author is a Radio Journalism Trainer
COUNCIL BRIEF
Accrediting Journalists
The Media Council of Kenya is an independent national
institution established by the Media Act 2007 as the leading
institution in the regulation of media and in the conduct
and discipline of journalists. The Media Act Cap 411B
establishing MCK seeks to regulate the conduct and
discipline of journalists and the media, self-regulation of
the media and for related purposes.
The Media Council Act No. 46 of 2013 provides the legal
framework for Council to regulate the standards of
journalism training in Kenya as a way of promoting
professionalism and media development in the country.
Under the Media Council Act 2013 section 6(1)(f), the
Media Council of Kenya is required to set standards in
consultation with the relevant training institutions, for
professional education and training of journalists. Section
6(1)(n) provides that the Council subject to any other
written law, consider and approve applications for
accreditation by educational institutions that seek to offer
courses in journalism. This is meant to ensure that the
Council enforces professionalism and regulates the conduct
and discipline of journalists in the country.
Section 6(1)(h) of the Media Council Act 2013 requires that
the Council accredits journalists and foreign journalists by
certifying their competence, authority or credibility against
official standards based on the quality and training of
journalists including the maintaining of a register of
journalists, media enterprises and such other related registers
as it may deem fit and issuance of such document evidencing
accreditation with the Council as the Council shall
determine.
Procedure
The process is provided for in the Act which stipulates that
the Council may, by notice in the Gazette, impose a levy in
respect of all media enterprises operating in Kenya, and an
annual registration fee in respect of all journalists whose
names appear in the registers kept by the Council.
Accreditation is a yearly process that ensures that only
qualified and authentic journalists practice in Kenya as
provided for by the Code of Conduct for the Practice of
Journalism in Kenya.
Accreditation aims at ensuring that all practising journalists
are issued with a press cards to enable them have ease while
covering stories in events and accessing some prohibited
areas for stories.
Benefits of accreditation
�1) It’s a legal requirement and allows one to practice
officially as a journalist and/or content creator in
Kenya
VIEWPOINT
10
�2) It allows one to enter the records of the Media Council
of Kenya and acts as a proof of membership to a
professional body.
�3) Accredited journalists can easily and officially access
information from official sources including State/public
officers, conferences, workshops and m e e t i n g s. W h e r e
denied they can launch complaint with the Complaints
Commission.
�4) It allows one to access safety and protection benefits
provided by the Council and enhances the protection of the
rights and privileges of journalists while in the performance
of their duties.
�5) It enables journalists to participate in professional
events including conventions, media awards and
fellowships.
Requirements
�- An authorization letter from the organization that one
works with. For students in their final year, a letter from the
college or university plus a student’s ID.
- A letter of recommendation, portfolio of work done, and
original certificates either a diploma or degree for freelance
journalists.
�- A passport size photograph taken on a white background
either on hard copy of digital.
�-A duly filled application from found at
www.mediacouncil.or.ke.
Charges
The charges are as indicated below and are renewed on
yearly basis:
Local journalist Ksh 2000
Students Ksh 300
Lecturers Ksh 2000
Foreign journalists Ksh 10,000 p.a. or Ksh 5000 for 3
months and below.
We hope this information helps. For more information or
clarifications please do not hesitate to write to us.
PEN COP: Osugo’s ‘awaiting trial inmates’
Matiang’i warned that they will not allow greedy individuals to
compromise education (Star, October 2, p.10) Who are “they”?
The Interior CS was in Kisii County last week where he
warned the government would take action against grabbers
of school land. That “they” should be replaced with “the
government”.
Murang’a senator Irungu Kang’ata wants his county assembly to
impose a 40 per cent levy on revenue generated from water supplied to
Nairobi. (Star, October 2, p.10) Which is Kang’ata’s county
assembly? Why should the Murang’a assembly be described
as “his”?
It is a growing reality in Kenya that individuals are hiring professional
assassins to eliminate their real or perceived enemies in a bid to avoid
the crime tracing back to them (People Daily, October 2, p.7).
Awkward. “To avoid crime tracing back to them” is not
English but sounds like direct translation from some other
language – probably Chinese. Rather, it is to avoid the crime
being traced to them.
Twelve people, including a minor, died and 20 others seriously injured
following a grisly road accident in Gilgil on the Nairobi-Nakuru
highway (People Daily, October 1, p.2) “and 20 others
seriously injured” what? 20 others were seriously injured.
Caption: Efforts to spruce up Nakuru town and give it a better
image ahead of the city status charter are in top gear with the county
government recently installing new clocks along every major road.
(Standard, October 2, p.3) Spruce up and “give it a better
image” mean the same.
During production to court, like other awaiting trial inmates is allowed
to put on his home clothes and when returned back to custody put on
BITANGE NDEMO,
Associate Professor at the University of Nairobi,
School of Business
Some journalists have become sepoys for political bigwigs.
Their work is to keep an eye on articles and content that does
not flatter the political funny bone of their favourite politician
and to try and discourage the publication of such content, or to
deliver the message that such content should not see the light
of day in the future.
prison uniforms as is procedure for inmates awaiting trial (Isaiah M.
Osugo, CBS, Commissioner Genral of Prisons) This
paragraph is taken from a statement Osugo issued last week
denying Migori governor Okoth Obado was receiving VIP
treatment in remand prison. Four things: one, a suspect is
produced in court (not to). Two, inmates awaiting trial, not
“awaiting trial inmates”. And three “returned back” is
redundant. Simply, returned. And four, “genral” is the
pronunciation; the spelling is “general”.
Prof Lunyangapou said politics should be kept out in order to improve
health services adding that the sector hds received a major boost in
medical supplies and equipment. (Nation, October 1, p.21) What
is ‘hds’, Mr Reporter?
The decision to burry Sharon at her grandfather’s home is in line with
Luo culture and tradition on the ground that the student’s ex-husband
had not brought dowry to her parents’ home. (Nation, October 3)
Is dowry brought or paid?
Hippo attacks in the river have been on the rise, contrary to the usual
crocodile attacks, with residents now forced to report late to their farms,
and very early back to dock as hippos and their children have been fond
of playing in the river early in the morning and at sunset. (Nation,
October 3) Hippos give birth to children?
Commissioners of the National Police Service Commission who were
sworn into office in October 2012 left as their term ended at the Kenya
School of Monetary Studies in Nairobi (Nation, October 3, p.8).
Why did the term of the commissioners end at Kenya
School of Monetary Studies? Do office terms end at a
designated place? For what reason?
VIEWPOINT
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The Media Observer
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Issue 31 , 06 August 2018
www.mediaobserver.co.ke