SUSPECT IMAGE LINK COMBO AND MEDIA MISDIAGNOSIS

These are sensitive political times in Kenya. Movements and pronouncements by politicians are closely being watched. Information circulated by mainstream or social media is  also critical because details can be packaged to either augment or deflate the chances of election aspirants. The wrong combination of images and information can be quite a devastating media misdiagnosis.

The subject in the picture accompanying the link to the story above, closely resembles one of the most prominent opposition leaders in Kenya.

And the nature of the story is highly likely to generate an almost immediate motivation to click on the link, presumably by associating it with the image provided.

Is it a case of click-baiting?

Regardless, this would be in bad taste.

As to who is culpable here, it's quite a complex matter.

- This particular link was posted to Facebook by a social media user not the mainstream media outlet.

- The story itself is five years old.

- The webpage one lands in, via the provided link, bears no image at all.

- The details of the actual story pertain to a different person, whose picture would be nothing close to the one provided in the 'offensive' link.

The Internet may not remember who is responsible, but don't' forget you could be liable for what you post.