FROM A SCRIBE TO A SENATOR

Congratulations to all former Kenyan journalists, who have successfully transitioned to the world of politics. Journalism after all is about serving the public's interests and this ties in very well, after being elected or nominated to political office. Yes. Even a scribe can make a good senator.

Kenya's political sphere has for long been dotted by lawyers, economists, doctors, engineers, diplomats, civil servants or people from the business or private sector. But welcome change is now in the air.

And going by the online response sampled below, the nomination to the Senate of a particular former journalist was extra special.

OF PEACEFUL POLLS, ELECTORAL INJUSTICE & THE KENYAN MEDIA

In the just concluded General Election, should the Kenyan media have put more emphasis on a peaceful process or a just one? Ideally, both would have been equally desirable. But, it appears, peace got more media attention. Tough luck for those citing injustices in the electoral process.

But injustices, thankfully, can now be pursued in the corridors of justice. But as for peace, there's no telling what could happen if that is no longer obtainable. With hindsight, though, Kenyans have a pretty ugly idea of what that could entail.

So, should the local press be demonised for putting a higher premium on peace campaigns and deliberately shielding their audience from potentially destabilising statements from politicians?

Isn't it so much better that even after the announcement of the election results, those aggrieved have an opportunity to seek credible legal redress, as opposed to their supporters pouring out in the streets and causing mayhem?

It is easy, especially for those, who never experienced first-hand, the effects of the flawed 2007 presidential election in Kenya, to castigate the local media's collective decision to trod on the safe path of 'patriotic journalism.'

Granted, it might be true, as argued by Michela Wrong that:

The Kenyan media's self-restraint reveals a society terrified by its own capacity of violence

But I applaud this decision because even in the face of disagreements about the poll results, the country is holding together. Kenyans are taking this electoral dispute in their stride, the polarising public discourse notwithstanding.

Moreover, it's hard to believe that Wrong missed the irony of the CORD team claiming it was being denied media coverage. She laments that:

Television broadcasts of Odinga's announcement that he would challenge the outcome of the election before the Supreme Court switched to Uhuru's acceptance speech before the Q. and A. with Odinga had even begun.

But none other than the owner of Kenya's most popular media outlet, sits in the coalition's top political organ and was present at this very same media briefing.

Is the so defined preoccupation with peace an illusion? Nicholas Benequista postulates that:

Kenyan media cannot forever remain a polite space where differences are swept under the rug to be replaced by a consensually agreed (rather than imposed) agenda of nationalistic propaganda.

This, in my opinion, is debatable. I would rather the media elects to have divisive or inciting elements kept away from public domain, than e.g., 'irresponsibly' broadcast people being attacked after being pulled out of a public transport vehicle, like it happened during the 2007/2008 post election violence.

The Kenyan media should not be unduly faulted for proactively seeking to foster peace, because being reactionary and desperately calling for peace, when the country is already burning, is no longer tenable.

On this account, the local media's self-censorship, can be directly linked to the country's self-preservation.

IN SEARCH OF A SORE WINNER AND HEARTY LOSER

Kenyans held the nation together, before the March 4th General Election and during the polls. They must continue holding it together, after the announcement of the presidential election results. May the winner be sore enough to appreciate the loser's worthiness and may the loser be hearty enough to recognise the winner's opportunity to serve Kenyans. 

Emotions and political posturing might blur the bigger picture of national interests but sobriety must be allowed to reign, in order to refocus the competitive politics on the greater good of uniting the country.

The local and international media must not be 'misused' to cultivate a morbid climate of anxiety, however high the political stakes climb.

Supporters of opposing camps should not be easily swayed or inflamed towards considering loss of life and destruction of property, as viable options of making a political point.

And may the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission remain fair, accurate and impartial, to the very end, so that the next Kenyan president is universally acceptable.

JOINT MEDIA PRODUCTION: IT SHOULDN'T END WITH PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

That Kenya's media has made significant progress, in the run-up to the March 4th General Election, is indisputable. It took a rare sense of purpose, one of great national importance, to bring out the strengths of joint media productions. This shouldn't end with the country's first ever live presidential debates.

The energy exhibited and seamless synergy between the talent and resources of the various media houses involved, was highly commendable and surely must not be made to await another five years to shine through.

The same entity that was apparently constituted to manage the presidential debates should not be disbanded. I want to believe that it has been properly registered and so the only thing left is perhaps to extend and expand its mandate.

And so whenever there is an event that is being broadcast live in all the local media outlets, this company will be given the production task and obligated to distribute the signal to all the players with a valid membership.

So there will be no more scrambling for prime space during, e.g, the official announcement of the winner of the presidential election. All the media houses will get the same high quality footage and then they can all go crazy in 'value addition' by way of studio analysis and the input of on location reporters/anchors.

It's not that competition among local media houses is bad. It's jut that all that creative and 'financial' energy at times, appears to be terribly misplaced. Viewers are regularly treated to new studio sets that probably cost an arm and two legs, and yet the news content remains wanting.

And that obsession with being the first to do this or that is becoming nauseating. For crying out loud if you are using a visual medium, concentrate more on showing your 'prowess' as opposed to telling it.

I felt cheated indeed, when a claim was made that the first ever Google Hangouts on Kenyan national TV, was broadcast on Wednesday 27th February 2013. If  I recall correctly, I blogged about this 'non wonder' by another TV station...when?...15th March 2012!

My unsolicited advice to Kenyan media houses: there is a whole world of difference between competition and being competitive.

CUTTING EDGE AND COMING OF AGE IN LIVE NEWS BROADCASTS

It can now safely be said that Kenyan news broadcasting standards have crossed the line between technically deplorable and professionally adorable. After many years of being unable to have more than two external live video sources on air, one local station has finally cracked it. 

And what a beauty it was, to watch the four-way split screen. It's a refreshingly different delivery, and a far higher notch in the local broadcasting scene.

But, without wishing to blow the channel's bubble too soon, there's an uncanny resemblance between the above scenario and the one below!

And that is undoubtedly the benefit of adopting global best practises, to liven up and raise local broadcasting standards.

Here, it is more of skills and technology transfer, rather than pure aping of the broadcasting style of a foreign TV station, for those who get my drift.

RATINGS, RANTINGS & RAVINGS ABOUT DEBATE MODERATORS

And so it came to pass that Kenya got to witness its first ever live presidential debate. The combined resources of local media houses helped to achieve this milestone. And the moderators also came from media circles. How the two performed didn't escape the public's notice.

Call it unfair or even unwarranted, but it appears there was an element of dissatisfaction with one of the moderators, at least going by what has been posted in social media platforms.

Such is the very critical eye of the audience that perceived differences between the moderators, whether huge or mundane, will be mercilessly pointed out.

But thankfully, that is one thing anybody in the business will be made aware of, 'hours' after their journalism debut, and hence should be able to quickly identify suitable coping mechanism, to remain focused professionally.

The following is a sample of what the audience thought about the two moderators of Kenya's inaugural presidential debate.

OF POLITICIANS, POLLS AND THE PARADOX OF POLITICS

So, fellow Kenyan, you think your problems will be solved by a politician? Yet it hasn't occurred to you that the same politician could be the source and sustainer of the very same problems. It's your right to vote. But it's not right to be reduced to a voting machine.

The spirited efforts by some sections of the local media to prominently highlight issues and drive a people's agenda, ahead of the March General Election, still appear to be subordinate to the polarising posturing by politicians.

And therein lies the paradox of politics. Much as Kenyan politicians can test the very outer limits of one's patience, if not sanity, they still represent a formidable platform to institute positive change.

But that is not to say politicians should be accorded acres of space in the papers and endless broadcast airtime, to propagate 'pretentious' commitments to advancing the welfare of Kenyans.

Simply put for the umpteenth time, all the public utterances made by politicians need to be probed. That is what a respectable media ought to adopt as a standard operating procedure.

I once, as a TV reporter, foolishly thought the burden of proof was on a politician, who claimed in my news story that some people own land the size of Rwanda and Burundi.

My editor asked me a simple question: What evidence do you have?

Evidence. Evidence. Not one politician saying this and another saying that.