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Friday 13 July 2012

MY APOLOGIES FOR A NASTY AND VINDICTIVE MEDIA

Do news sources have a right to turn down an interview request? And if they decline to comment on an issue, should they in turn be vilified or even ridiculed, when the story in question is published or aired? This has been my experience, stemming from my previous blog post. And if that's what news sources at times go through, then please, accept my apologies for all the times the media has been nasty and vindictive.


Perhaps I invited such coverage I can live with that. But this experience is eye-opening in the sense that it has brought to the fore the way the media can be manipulative. This is something, which as a journalist, I might have or even inadvertently continue to perpetuate. Hence my apologies.


It all began very politely, after this blog generated quite some interest. I received a formal request for an interview.




My reasons for declining the interview had to do with contractual obligations. But I guess the person pursuing the interview with me did not see it that way.


Notice the sharp change of tone from, when the interview was first being solicited, to the reaction after I declined the offer.

Maybe I erred by turning down the request and I have no business complaining about the contents of the published story, since I turned down a request to have my input incorporated.


I strongly felt I had said all that I needed to say, and I didn't wish the matter to unpredictably progress any further.


Pertinent question indeed. If Expression Today had approached me soon after the NTV incident, or shortly after the Media Council of Kenya magazine came out, I probably would have elected to talk to them, if I had not already put my version of events in the public domain.

I had only one bullet to use, without compromising my contractual obligations!



2 comments:

Kuraiha said...

I Think Henry is a gun for hire or sort of a damage control guy for his counterparts at NTV. Why don't he seek the other side of the story from your ex-seniors and leave the judgement to us- public. You gave your version. End of the story.

Anonymous said...

Let Nation Media respond to Gachiri's allegations and not use proxies.Wewe Henry pilipili usioila yakwashiani!

Peri