An uncompromising critique of how the media covers topical issues, challenging traditional journalism concepts and charting fresh interpretations of news.
If you feel a news story does not measure up to expected journalistic standards, bring it to the Journalism Dry Cleaner. Through our collective wisdom, we will strip it of all offensive dirt.
Political talk shows, embellished with voter education undertones, are all the rage now in Kenya's media landscape. No doubt they play an important role. But great care should be taken by those hosting the shows. Make any undue value judgement and the audience will start looking at you questionably.
In a popular show aired on 24/10/12, for example, the guest was at some point addressed in racial terms. And he was told to his face that some of the problems of landlessness at the coast, were partly because of, 'you people.'
He painstakingly had to explain that he is first a Kenyan, that his racial extraction was secondary, and I volunteer to add, immaterial in the discussion.
I have no problem with a little aggression in the talk shows but this has to be sensibly tempered. The choice of word must also not be tainted by prejudicial, stereotypical or derogatory insinuations.
And if, for instance, a member of the panel looks at the guest with a lens of racial, tribal or ethnic affiliation, that is the same lens the audience will start looking at the panelist with.
Kenyan politicians have heightened their vote hunting strategies, with a General Election just months away. And the local media is now inundated with daily campaigning reports of the various aspirants. But is this 'excessive coverage' adding value to the electorate?
Yes. There is all that talk about empowering Kenyans to make an informed choice at the ballot box. That the media is being used as a conduit of the political ideas at play, which are then unpacked and 'formatted' for the consumption of the general public.
But how about the now near obsession of conveying 'news' about which politician is forging what alliance with which politician? How is it helpful to know which politicians were in a secret meeting?
In my opinion, the media needs to step back and let the politicians do as they wish in their individual capacities and only report on political matters that are of weighty significance to Kenyans.
It has become too confusing to keep pace with reports of politician A one day holding talks with politician C about defeating politician B in the coming polls, only for the following day to watch or read about politician B meeting with politician C, to strategize about joining forces to frustrate politician A.
In the end, it can very well turn out that politician A, B, and C all end up on the same side.
So, spare the audience the agony of trying to understand the plots and sub-plots of political posturing, in the build up to the next General Election. Let issues and ideologies dominate the coverage in the press.
Many Kenyans have been asking for it. An opportunity to gauge the qualities and capacities of those seeking to lead the country after the 2013 General Election. Media houses have now set in motion plans for live presidential debates. But are the aspirants ready? Is the media ready?
Any presidential candidate not willing to participate will be seriously denting his or her chances with the electorate. But let it not be forgotten that politicians in this part of the world, generally, are not so mature professionally. (Will tele-prompters be allowed?)
Then again, there is bound to be more than two presidential candidates, (or can parties form pre-debates coalitions or do joint nominations to identify the strongest debater?)
And for the media houses behind this grand idea, which 'miracle moderator' will be able to satisfactorily lead the debates? And logistically, how will the issue of time management be addressed?
Small issues these are, compared to the greater good of empowering citizens to make a well-informed choice of their president. And the sample of views below, is an indication of the importance of this collective media project.
What will it take for Martha Karua's presidential campaign to be accorded favourable media coverage? Is she not worthy of a slice of the prominence the press dishes out, disguised as objective coverage? And is it a coincidence that the leading politicians in the seemingly predictable opinion polls, also regularly get copious media attention?
On 30th September 2012, for example, majority of the politicians were captured in the media, selling their political agenda, which translates to 95% pure rhetoric, inundated with promises to do this or the other, if the electorate votes for them.
But Karua, the Narc Kenya presidential, was visiting the Pumwani Maternity Hospital. She not only gave a statement on the on-going strike by doctors, but also cleared the fees for some mothers.
Definitely, it can be argued that this was a calculated public relations stunt and the Kenyan media houses did not fall for that trap. But nevertheless, how can this noble act be relegated to a mere by-the way-mention, ensconced in a round-up of other 'weightier' political stories of the day?
I am not trying to agitate for fair coverage on behalf of the Karua campaign team. I am just pointing out my misgivings about how the local media is inadvertently propping up certain politicians, at the expense of others, on a not so objective platform.
It would be a different matter if, say a media house is to declare their support or endorsement of a particular presidential aspirant, and then proceed to give him or her coverage ad nauseam.
But it is foolhardy to do the same, while pretending to be non-affiliated to any political party, and still expect Kenyans not to see through the media charade.
Children. Media. This combination presents a challenging proposition to journalists. Thrown in trauma and matters get really dicey. That is why one news reporter was recently navigating through very choppy waters, when she elected to tell the Tana River tragedy from the perspective of child victims.
Whereas thinking out of the box is often something that should be applauded, using minors to depict a very complex web of deadly violence was, to some extent, pushing the barriers towards intolerable territory.
One kid was actually being quoted saying something close to, 'then they started killing each other.' How, pray tell, is a child expected to accurately process such mentally disturbing scenarios, before even relaying the same to a journalist?
This is where I think, the best interests of the children caught up in the Tana River violence, override whatever novel and noble intentions of the news reporter.
And because children enjoy absolute privacy, then it is in their interest that their identity is protected and their trauma is not exacerbated by undue media exposure, which essentially makes them relive their horrifying experience.
After the news crews pack up and go, these kids have to continue with their life, the misery notwithstanding, and it's really unfair to only look at them as subjects of a good TV report.
If asked what I can remember about the latest by-elections in Kenya, my answer will not be anywhere near the details of who or which party won, which parliamentary or civic seat. It will entirely have to do with one elderly man and his simple desire from the whole electoral process. Shoes.
Courtesy of a most refreshing television report by NTV Kenya's Pamela Asigi, the monotonous coverage of the mini-polls by Kenyan media outlets, did not leave an ever-lasting obnoxious after-taste.
Just check out the sampled reactions below, for a confirmation of the sterling job that Pamela did.
Surveillance video footage, as captured by CCTV cameras, is increasingly being used by Kenyan TV stations, to illustrate crime reports. But there is need to get over the excitement of seeing the criminals at work and basing entire news stories on this factor. Why the element of surprise and yet the CCTV cameras were designed to do exactly that?
Such is the weaknesses of such news stories that opportunities to probe the 'captured crime' further, are painfully allowed to pass, which reduces the news to mere visual entertainment.
Take for instance, the Citizen TV story, about how a major supermarket chain was losing a colossal amount to 'thieving Kenyans' masquerading as customers.
The management availed CCTV footage, which the reporter used to 'great' effect, describing with military precision, how the rapacious 'clients' were going about with their diabolic activities.
What was lacking though, after one sifted through all the descriptive narration, was some bit of much needed interpretation of the situation, apart from quantifying the loss the supermarket was making.
For such a reputable chain store, one would want to believe that all the products on the shelves are barcoded or that at least the pricey items are electronically tagged. Moreover, it would also be safe to expect that sensors have been placed at the entrance of the supermarket chain in question. These would in turn easily set of an alarm, should any item leave the premise, without passing through the cash tills.
And if all these 'basic' security measures were missing, then that is where the news story was, given that the supermarket involved is not your ordinary corner-shop. But this 'obscure' angle, never seemed to have warranted any attention from the TV reporter.
Yet another similar crime story was featured by another Kenyan channel, Kiss TV. Granted, the footage had some dramatic ending. But in terms of asking hard questions, it fell into the same trap.
The pattern of 'suspected' criminals staging daring thefts, most probably in the full knowledge that CCTV cameras are in operation, raises pertinent issues that journalists need to help address, even as they strive to give some professional depth to their stories.
Instead of being as reactionary as the owners of businesses that have fallen victim to 'smooth operators' in the crime underworld, the reporters should especially, in my opinion, start making this often over-looked point.
It's all well and good to invest in CCTV cameras. But it makes a whole world of a difference, if a deliberate effort is made to ensure somebody is monitoring the footage, as it is being recorded, so that any 'captured' suspicion is promptly interrogated or apprehended, in real time!!!
