HEAT OF LIFE, LIVE HITS AND WHY SUPERIORS AND PEERS MATTER LESS

In the field of journalism, professional challenges abound. If one gets into an unfamiliar territory, chances of failing spectacularly only outweigh the risks of a possible job loss. And when disaster strikes, forget the assurances from superiors and your peers. Rely instead on your self-belief. It will take you through the heat of life and live hits. 

The reactions to the 'wanting' linguistic abilities of the reporter above, oscillated between outright condemnation and patronising reassurance.

Indeed, serving the public's interest can expose a journalist to great ridicule from the same public.

But that is just an occupational hazard.

The real danger is the carefully concealed hypocrisy.

If the live report touched on something that's significantly damaging to the reputation of the media house, say, erroneously stating the President ordered the arrest of the area Member of Parliament:

- Would the newsroom managers come to the defence of the reporter, because it was the first time he was doing a live hit?

- Would senior editors or producers take responsibility for risking to have an inexperienced reporter doing a live broadcast during prime time?

- Would fellow colleagues in the industry be very sympathetic, or would the reporter become a case study of how not to do a live broadcast?

The reality in many a Kenyan newsrooms is that here, the reporter could be left to fry alone, even if the information he shared was given to him by his bosses.

And such is life. You really can't depend on other people to back you up 100%, all the time.

That's why it's so important to have an inner reservoir of strength, hope, courage and determination to soldier on, in the face of career-threatening adversity.

- Those offering their support, can opt to become spineless, if it suits them more.

- Those getting in touch to express their solidarity can thereafter be out of touch with your basic needs.

- Those sharing how they overcame similar circumstances can fail to disclose if they had somebody higher up protecting their interests.

That's why in the heat of life, and even after a live hit mess, what superiors and peers say should matter less.

Focus more on your self-belief and the Most High!

DIVORCE COURT AND MEDIA COURTING TROUBLE

It's not very often that the Kenyan media dedicates ample time and resources to bring a private court hearing into the public sphere. The coverage of legal matters should be restricted to the issues as they arise, taking care not to violate the rule of sub-judice. In a divorce court, a media house could be courting trouble, if it suggests its perceived stance on the matter.

That appears to be the case here, given the way this TV news channel identified one of the litigants.

If party A says there was a marriage contract with party B, but party B disputes this and the matter ends up up in court, (never mind if party A wants to part ways with part B), why should a media outlet identify party A as being married to party B?

In the public eye, a position on the matter is already being strongly projected.

But on such legal matters, it's 'dangerous' and unethical to even appear to have an interest in the outcome of such a case, by deviating from the confines of neutrality and objective reporting.

The judicial system frowns upon acts that can jeopardise the fair determination of matters before it, even if they play out in the court of public opinion.

In the coverage of this divorce court, this media house could be courting trouble!

ENTERPRISE REPORTING, REGURGITATED FEATURES AND RECYCLED STORIES

Skills in enterprise reporting are welcomed in the newsroom. But is the world always going to provide interesting stories that journalists can continue to uncover, discover and cover? Highly unlikely. Inevitably, some stories will be recycled, even under the guise of making follow-ups. But the audience can easily see through regurgitated features disguised as new ones.

If a TV channel heavily promotes an upcoming feature, it builds anticipation and expectation that the story is worth making a viewing appointment.

Even if it's a familiar 'special' feature being hyped, one is hopeful of watching a fresh insight, perhaps a new angle even, or the latest developments in a story that's being retold.

However, in this particular instance, there was little to show that an attempt was made to add to the existing level of awareness about the story.

One gets a sneaky sense that the reporter deliberately chose to try and obliterate any acknowledgement that what was being served was a not so tasty dish of televised deja vu.

This, needless to say, was as futile as it was foolhardy.

Truth be told, this is a story that has previously been featured by both local and international media, from as early as 2010, as captured here.

Behold, however, this late 2018 version was largely centred on the same central 'fact' that the language spoken by the Yaaku community was on the verge of extinction.

The one loosely substantiated 'new' fact was that only three fluent speakers of the Yakunte language remained, (down from 7 in 2010?).

Maybe the media should consider borrowing the principle of specifically adding to the existing body of knowledge, before publishing, which is a key cornerstone in the world of academia.

If a story has already been covered, then it would be a requirement that reference is made to what has already been produced, even if by rival media entities, so that emphasis is strictly put on value addition, for the benefit of the audience.

And a bibliography also won't hurt, (just kidding!).

OF INFERTILE NEWS COUPLES, CHILDLESS PARENTS AND TV GRAPHICS

Words are the building blocks of communication. Whether in isolation or combination, they are used to convey meaning. But frequently for the media in Kenya, words are carelessly stitched together. And it's no longer shocking to find TV graphics alluding to infertile news couples or childless parents.

Only a fertile imagination, perhaps, can come up with the details in the straps above.

What in the name of procreation, is the viewer expected to make of the words, 'news couples' and the supposed fact that 2 million of them are infertile?

That pseudo-statistic arises from a very minor error, but the outcome is a major source of editorial embarrassment.

Another critical element is context.

Each of the words may appear to make sense, like the lower-third information above, but what they collectively imply may not be sensible at all.

How such an obvious contradiction can escape the scrutiny of editorial gatekeepers is another newsroom wonder.

But the on-air result is far from being wonderful!

TV NEWS, STAR PERSONNEL AND THE WRITING ON THE CAMERA LENS

Broadcasting stations in Kenya have raised their rivalry a notch higher. And this has in turn sparked a scramble for star talent, perceived to be critical in curving a competitive advantage. But there's a growing need to re-engage the audience, because a personnel-centred approach in TV news can only deliver so much. The writing is on the camera lens.

In these 'post-millennial' days, it was surprising that the above live cross with the 'seasoned' reporter/editor, had to be aborted on account of such an elementary technical challenge.

As if the battery status message appearing on screen was not damning enough, the news production crew allowed the live signal to continue, until the camera gave up the ghost, leading to an on air freeze.

It's likewise important then, not to ignore any indication that a channel could be deviating from its core functions.

Enough with 'Tanite' and its associated TV foolery, and let's get focused on the needs of the viewer.

A station may opt to bring together a star-studded team to enhance the delivery of content.

If the content is wanting, however, no amount of 'fine' delivery would compensate any lack of serious substance to offer the audience.

May 'tanite' find its way back to 'tonight'!

WORDS, MEANING, MEDIA CONTEXT AND WRONG FACTS

Words convey meanings encoded in them. But deciphering the meaning of words in many languages is not a simple affair. Other factors like stress and intonation, if spoken, or the context, could vary the meaning of words. For media that use English, wrong use of words can result in misrepresentation of facts.

The word 'deadly' either implies something causing death, or able to cause death, resembling or suggesting death.

In the TV news story above, the woman is narrating her ordeal, meaning her harrowing experience at the hands of her husband cannot be said to be deadly.

The assault was severe, but not to the point of making the woman look 'deadly' or suggest she was about to die then.

Similarly, the writer of the lower third tags, creates the impression of the woman being 'insanely' punished, because of speaking a 'foreign' language.

It turns out the language in question was Swahili!

The language could be 'foreign' to the diabolical husband, but the audience knows it as an official language in this part of the world.

Then there are instances, when the chosen words can ridiculously miss the intended meaning.

And you end up with 'lectures' that have the power to disobey orders to resume duty.

BRAIN SURGERY SHOCK: FROM MEDICS TO MEDIA MIX-UP

It's been described as the biggest medical mix-up in Kenya. A patient in no need of brain surgery had the procedure conducted on him, at the country's largest referral hospital. The cause of the confusion is being attributed to two patients being wrongly labelled. Apparently, it's just not medics who mess up name tags. 

The fallout from this harrowing medical error has been closely followed by the media.

And yet in seeking to help the audience understand the circumstances that led to this monumental mistake, a section of the media inadvertently demonstrated just how 'easy' it can be to mix-up people's names.

According to this TV news report, Dr. Malachi Odhiambo, is an anaesthetist at the Kenyatta National Hospital.

But are we referring to this Dr. Malachi Odhiambo?

Or maybe this one?

No, wait...the above could as well be the real Dr. Malachi Odhiambo.

Clearly, editorial desk errors, do not even come close to errors in judgement, on the operating table.

The media though, operates on the premise that facts are sacred.

And getting people's names and titles right is among the most basic of required journalistic rigour.

So too, is correcting editorial mistakes.

It's unacceptable that this one error appeared on screen on two different days, across three bulletins!

HIGHER EDUCATION AND MEDIA AS PURVEYOR OF IGNORANCE

A primary reason for tuning into a news channel is to be informed of significant happenings. But the content in Kenyan broadcasting stations can try one's patience. The delivery and presentation too, can be grossly abhorrent. Local TV news gets particularly revolting, if it becomes a purveyor of ignorance, in coverage of higher education matters.

Let's first take a few moments to frown upon the blatant disregard of elementary English language etiquette above, masquerading as an innocuous typo.

There are 'more serious' issues at stake here.

How the graphics below got to get on air in their sorry state, should be a big worry to the channel's media managers.

If the on screen information is to be believed:

- An Assistant Lecturer, at some undefined point in time, used to earn more than a Lecturer.

- The same Assistant Lecturer now earns a substantially lower amount in a new pay structure, as compared to the previous rate.

Now that's negative progress, but I digress.

This kind of ignorance is not bliss, it makes the heart miss a beat or two.

TV INTERVIEWS: ELITES NON-INTEREST & FIDELITY TO PUBLIC INTEREST

Objectivity. Impartiality. Neutrality. Balance. These are words that media practitioners will be harshly judged against, as Kenyans navigates this year's electioneering period. That's why journalists ought to be aligned more with the needs of the public, than for politicians. Fidelity to the public interest should override non-interests of elites, in TV political interviews.

And so it becomes quite challenging to satisfactorily interrogate politicians, and associated political players on TV, especially, for the benefit of the watching public, a good chunk of whom are potential voters.

There's a very slim chance of getting approval across the various political divides, and the odds against journalists are multiplied by plenty of malevolent critics, who probably are adding their own prejudices or biases, and thus subtracting from the overall value of the engagement.

So, the chorus of disapprovals after every other TV interview or debate, where the interviewers or moderators get a serious bashing because of perceived 'media sins' of omission or commission, should be cognizant of the difficulties of serving competing interests that journalists have to routinely contend with.

In any case, is it better for the interviewer to exhibit great understanding of topical issues backed by solid research, to please his or her peers, or the elites in society, for that 'coveted' stamp of approval, but fail to resonate with many more who are not as knowledgeable?

Or should an interviewer demonstrate some level of ignorance, so as to represent the likely average grasp of the issues amongst members of the audience, to better help enlighten them, by having everything simplified?

I'm certainly not the best media informer, but in these two scenarios, I distance myself from the former.

OF ROYALTIES AND MISPLACED LOYALTIES

In Kenya, the combination of music and politics has proven to be vital in securing an election victory. Musicians have now wisened up and are demanding their pound of flesh from politicians. As politicians seek to shore up voter loyalties, the musicians are demanding royalties for use of their productions. For the the media, though it's a case of royalties and misplaced loyalties.

In this part of the world, certain communities have a penchant of messing up pronunciation of English sounds, referred to as mother-tongue interference.

This could be a logical explanation for the mix-up of the lower news story tag above, which states:

'KAMP, PRISK demand loyalties from politicians'

You see, the mind could be playing a terrible game on the writer of the caption, such that the way they are used to saying, 'royalties' is how they spell it as well.

Or worse still, the person truly thinks he or she's typing 'royalties' and is even unperturbed by the sight of the word 'loyalties', because the mind is stubbornly 'seeing royalties'.

I wouldn't want to put my money on the probable fact that, here, we are dealing with a case of the writer not using the word, 'loyalties' in the right context.

I also strongly want to believe it is wrong to conclude the entire news production and studio crew in this TV station, on duty then, could not distinguish between 'loyalties' and 'royalties'.

After all, royal media has loyal viewers. (I hope you don't see what I did there).

SHEER NONSENSE, EDITORIAL DEFICIENCY AND NEWSROOMS NATIONAL DISASTER

There is sense. There is lack of sense. And then there's sheer nonsense, which some Kenyan media outlets have off late taken a keen interest in excelling at. The Editorial deficiency and inability to convey meaningful information to the audience should perhaps be declared a national disaster in newsrooms.

The on air blunders have ceased to be mere visual irritants.

One is at first amused, then bemused, before being left feeling intellectually abused.

In the news story tag above, this is what viewer is being asked to mentally process:

'Thugs shot dead woman after kidnapping her in Uthiru'

Television is full of make believe content but this is stretching it to the realm of lunacy!

Let's break down the appalling caption to try and establish the scale of idiocy being depicted.

- A 'dead' woman was shot by thugs.

- The thugs first kidnapped the 'dead woman' before shooting her.

This TV news channel should also be charged with first degree murder of the English language!

BUSY TV SCREEN, AND A MULTIMEDIA STRAIN

It is no longer desirable to ignore the demands of a digital media environment, and a demanding audience, wielding immense powers because of available options of content and channels. But this should not mean that the media should carelessly experiment in the hope of giving their audience a fresh experience. This can result in a busy TV screen and a multimedia strain.

Yes. It's good to tap into different media formats and either align the content with the best option or even use  a combination to create a multimedia product.

But no. You just don't put together any mashup, and deem it fit for audience consumption, like it happened with one Kenyan TV station.

As depicted above, the TV screen appeared to mirror a web page, probably in the hope of making it look savvy and edgy.

Actually, what was being beamed on air was an online article from another media's website, but with the additional eye strain of a talking head video, being aired live and literally boxed into webpage.

So in one go, your eyes are juggling between reading the headline of the article and the speaker's gesticulations as he makes his point, as well as the lower third information tags.

The ear too gets a piece of the action, trying heard to listen to what the subject is speaking, as the mind works hard to process all these elements, to make them different from nonsense.

Work with multimedia but desists from causing multiple eyes, ears and mental strain for your audience.

STRIKE SOLIDARITY, TV NEWS GRAPHICS AND SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES

A number of unions in Kenya have instructed their members to down their tools, in the wake of floundering negotiations with the government. The local media has tried to balance between highlighting the public's interest and the demands of the workers on strike. But some TV news graphics seem to be passing subliminal messages in solidarity with the strikes.

Is it a case of deliberate endorsement or an editorial oversight?

Who is being urged to 'Boycott lectures'?

Is it the audience?

Or is the on-screen graphics meant to pass a call to action message to those not aware of the industrial action?

The first look at the lower third information tag, and a second look at the visuals of striking workers, could possibly help rally support for more institutions to join in.

And not only can more lecturers be mobilized to join in the strike, university students can also be persuaded to abandon their classes.

So much for neutrality in news coverage.

So little of average gatekeeping.

ANATOMY OF A FAILED TV NEWS APOLOGY

Some mistakes in the media are innocent, inadvertent or even involuntary. But it's beginning to look like some other errors are either deliberate, or emanating from acts of internal sabotage. The name of the main subject of a women empowerment TV news feature was that of a very prominent man in the Kenyan public service. The apology afterwards failed to undo the damage.

A very inspiring feature was thus ruined by such an easily rectifiable on air blunder.

Again I ask, why is it that nobody in the studio gallery, during this particular news broadcast, could have noticed this error fast enough?

Was it that impossible to make an immediate correction, or at least stop the wrong caption from going on air repeatedly?

The news anchor issuing an apology for the obvious mistake at the end of the clip, is a tad too late and effectively inconsequential.

The first time the name tag mixup goes out, it's perhaps excusable and even attributable to human fallibility, given the 'immense' broadcast newsroom pressures.

But that for the entire duration of the 7-min plus feature, the mistake was never apparently spotted, is a big indictment of the news production crew's level of alertness, and a statement about the station's editorial inadequacy.

The belated attempt to assuage viewers, is indeed a useless anatomy of a failed apology.

CONVERGED NEWSROOMS, DIVERGENT REALITIES

That operations of Kenyan media houses have had to be re-evaluated, mainly due to technological disruption of hitherto working business models, is hardly disputable. And as revenues dwindle, managing of costs becomes critical. Converged newsrooms are now becoming the norm, but more needs to be done in confronting divergent realities.

It's foolhardy for a media house to send out conflicting information to its audience, and it raises serious questions about whether its internal communication channels are properly aligned.

Indeed, communication or information sharing are key elements of a media enterprise, as it engages with its audiences on various platforms.

But often overlooked perhaps, is the value of clear communication and information sharing within a media house itself.

So, for example, a media outlet sends out alerts on its social media account, about an upcoming live TV coverage of an event, with exact details about timing and expected content (and a bonus typo).

But when one checks the channel at the indicated time...yes...there's live coverage...but of a different event!

I'm sure there's a perfect reason, (with a financial twist, you bet), for the change in the transmission schedule.

But, before the conflicting information was sent out, somebody ought to have done some simple cross-checking.

Communicate internally...to effectively communicate externally!

MINING MINORS AND MINORING IN THE MAJOR

The increase in the number of long-form news features in Kenyan broadcasting stations is great. The in-depth look at issues afflicting the society, affords the country an opportunity to reflect on the presented challenges and contemplate appropriate solutions. A recent feature on child labour put the focus on mining minors but almost ended up minoring in the major.

The scope of people interviewed was impressively wide, which brilliantly captured the conflicting interests at play, and how these ended up disadvantaging young children in that community.

However, the choice of what speakers say in the final story, raised more questions for the audience to try and figure out, in what emerged as a vicious cycle of poverty sabotaging efforts to vanquish poverty.

One of the 'poverty stricken' parents (hopefully not a minor), talks of the poor market prices of the product of his menial work. He is determined though, because he has to provide for his children...all 12 of them!

The other parent confidently justifies pulling children out of a public school, and enrolling them in a private learning facility.

But she just can't afford the switch and so it's back to the mining pit, in the interim, because there's no point prioritising education, over putting food on the table.

This parent also argues that the main problem with government-funded schools is that teachers seldom show up in class, thus compromising the learning process.

But what do school administrators say? There are fewer and fewer children to teach!

The issue of affordable education in the context of free primary education is somehow a major factor too. And the reason why many children are out of school is 'exorbitant' additional levies.

There's no mention of the possible impact of state-funded bursaries for needy children.

Local education officials, meanwhile, don't want to enforce laws that require parents to take their children to school, opting to instead 'sensitise' them first!

I could go on some more, but suffice it to say,  this feature raised pertinent issues about mining minors, but its delivery bordered on minoring in the major aspects.

Curiously, another rival station did a similar feature on child labour, three years ago, but in a different part of Kenya.

Some more creativity in crafting the title of the feature, could have been a useful 'minor' addition.

TV PRESENTER DOWN: WHEN THE SHOW MUST NOT GO ON

Live TV comes with anxiety, tension, and unforeseen turn of events. However, local broadcast stations need to be alive to the fact that delivering a seamless show is not larger than life. Oh yes, you can take a break and eject an unruly studio guest. But oh no. When a TV presenter is down, the live show must not go on, especially not according to the usual script. 

In what must count as one of the most awkward moment on Kenyan live TV shows, a host hurt himself on air, and was writhing on the floor in pain.

But the co-presenter, (on the misadvice of the director/producer perhaps), set in motion the normal closing sequence of the show.

So, as her colleague was screaming his guts out, she started bidding the viewer goodbye, and at one point even clapped.

CLAPPED!

So what if, God forbid, the injury sustained by the other presenter was very serious?

(I'm not saying ending in death, but well, distantly implying it).

Would there have been any justification to continue with the show normally, if there was a grave (pardon the pun) situation on the set?

I doubt there was a viewer (with a heart), focusing on the presenter winding up the show.

Again. The quest to deliver a perfect live show is not a matter of life and death.

Do keep that point alive, show director/producer/floor manager!

CUE DOUBLE DOSE OF SAME INFORMATION, CUE AUDIENCE DOZE OFF

The Kenyan president makes an address to the nation, broadcast live in all major channels, during which changes in his administration are announced. The event ends less than half an hour to prime time news bulletins. Then, newscasts lead with a lengthy recap of the presidential briefing. This double dose of identical information is a cue for the audience to doze off.

Is the news significant? Oh yes, very important. Must it be re-aired in its original format and the content of the presidential address regurgitated on an ' as is where is' basis, so soon after the live broadcast?

Yes...in the land of dead journalistic analysis and media allergies to interpretative value addition on information being conveyed.

But that's not to say you lose focus on the fact that TV is a visual medium.

So having a news presenter on a prolonged solo talking spree makes it hard to distinguish between facts and personal opinion.

It is hard to imagine that within one hour, local channels weren't able to line up analysts or experts to interrogate the Cabinet reshuffle, despite big hints that major changes were in the offing.

And if all fails, even in-house 'editorial authorities' can be roped in to broaden the discussion, as opposed to the tiring studio monologues.

It's important for a news story to be taken forward. And the media can be proactive in seeking to raise and find answers to the 'so what' question.

That 'lazy' newsroom pattern of waiting for reactions a day after, ought to be discarded.

That's why it was so refreshing to see one of the channels airing a Cabinet Secretary nominee's initial thoughts, shortly afterwards.

Those visuals came from Europe...

...And you want the audience to think it's impossible to get a relevant comment from the neighbourhood?

OBAMA, GRANNIES AND GATEKEEPING DEFICIENCY DEMONS

Kenya is preparing to host a very important visitor. US president Barack Obama is coming home. And the local media is seizing this moment to churn out copious stories, disguised as providing extensive coverage. Not surprisingly, editorial lapses continue to amuse and astonish, as gatekeeping deficiency demons torment the audience.

Every angle is being explored, and every exploration is being angled, for the media to feel it has exhaustively covered this historic visit.

But the pressure of seizing the moment can lead to unintended editorial embarrassments, especially if the focus is on sideshows, and not the substance of the US president's visit.

So, a story is told of how elderly women are trying very hard to learn Engish, pardon me, English...now wait for the clincher:

'...to be able to communicate with President Obama'

At what point will this happen, during the visit of the US president?

Even if Obama makes a dramatic unscheduled visit to his ancestral home of Kogelo, in western Kenya, will the same grannies be guaranteed to be at a tobacco sniff distance, to converse with the most powerful leader on the planet?

Granted, Kogelo has been receiving a lot of foreign tourists, after one of its sons began occupying the White House.

Naturally then, that would have been a better way of highlighting the need for local grannies to learn Engish...sorry...English.

Hey, members of the press, there's an old rat, (last sighted near Burma market), which lost all its whiskers, while foraging at the then Cameo Cinema, that now has an uncanny resemblance, to the sole of the shoe, worn by a neighbour, of Barack Obama Senior.

Sic 'em...news hounds!

NO RIGHT TURNS AGONY AND WRONG TURNS IN THE TV STUDIO

TV news relays the reality of a day's major occurrences, but often relies on a lot of visual manipulations and technical illusions. So the audience gets to see orderliness on their TV screen, although a news presenter could be surrounded by all manner of chaos. A recent discussion on the no right turns agony on Nairobi's roads, shattered this perception, with wrong turns in the TV studio.

A guest had been invited to a live newscast, to analyse the effectiveness of new changes meant to decongest the main road networks in the Kenyan capital.

It may seem like a straightforward arrangement in the studio set, with TV cameras calibrated to get various angles of the guest and news presenter, to be picked by a vision mixer, as instructed by the director.

But of course there are other people in the gallery, some tasked with managing lighting, sound, graphics, autocue, etc, and all seeking to ensure there's a flawless news delivery.

Expectedly, there's bound to be lots of movements and conversations off camera, which the audience at home never gets to see or hear.

Never...well...maybe not.

Like in this instance, in one of the major local news channels, a hand suddenly appeared, as the studio guest was making his point.

And in the following few seconds, as captured in the short video clip above, the local, (global perhaps?) audience was treated to a rare instance of the reality that never gets projected, during TV news presentation.

There was a glass and bottle of water behind the studio guest, and these items were perhaps giving the camera operator(s) a hard time, in framing some shots, (or somebody got really thirsty).

So off with the annoying glass and bottle. But oh no...not in front of the whole world!

Obviously, there was a breakdown in communication, in the gallery.

But that's not a good enough reason to interfere with the 'perfect' world of TV news presentation!