MEDIA TABOO TOPICS AND THE REALITY REALM

It's probably one of the most difficult issues to cover in the media. An 'impending' demise of a great personality. How do you reconcile the need to reflect the reality on the ground with the right amount of sensitivity, and the often taboo realm of contemplating anyone's death?

News editors know any attempt to seek a balanced coverage still runs the risk of upsetting societal expectations.

But it's generally acceptable to focus on a public figure, even in their distressing times.

The trick is to properly manage the tone and steer the coverage away from speculations and other prophet of doom tendencies.

However, as I gaze into the clear skies of Johannesburg, I hope whatever ending that eventually comes to pass, will not be the beginning of sadness, but the continuation of happiness from the enduring gift of one man's great sacrifices for humanity.

DISCONTENT WITH THE CONTENT OF TV MORNING SHOWS

Kenyan TV stations have decreed that all mornings are the same for everyone. So, a similar content will be on offer across the channels. From a recap of the previous day's news, to a newspaper review segment, followed by some interviews or discussions. Is the entire audience that homogeneous? The discontent with the content of TV morning shows is on different levels.

The setting is most of the time studio-based, with a pinch of razzmatazz to create the illusion of technological sophistication. But be warned, artificialness is indirectly proportional to visual appeal.

Attempts are made to focus on engaging topics. But there is either too much talking that induces sleeping tendencies, at a time when the staying awake barrier is supposed to have been overcome, ahead of a presumably productive day.

Or, the pretentiousness that permeates the presentation styles, buoyed by self-centred banter, leaves a sugarless aftertaste, from the early morning viewing experience.

Once in a while, there are flashes of brilliance in capturing real issues that reasonably resonate with the struggles of the majority, and celebrating the resilience of unbroken spirits.

But how hard is it to not only think outside the box, but to completely forget there once was a box, and instead opt for the path less trodden, when it comes to selecting a unique programme format?

I refuse to mourn the death of creativity in Kenyan TV stations.

I agree to rejoice at the birth of refreshing programming ideas

INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM: FROM THE FRISKY TO THE RISKY

The realm of investigative journalism requires a not so common combination of passion and professionalism, and a healthy dose of risk tolerance. That is why media practitioners devoted to uncovering hidden truths for the public good, need to be applauded. But where does one insert 'too' before frisky and risky?

A recent expose in one of the 'not so popular' Kenyan TV stations, though thoroughly engaging, pointed to some often ignored but probably important ethical considerations.

- If journalists illustrate the ease of purchasing hard drugs by actually posing as clients and getting the narcotics, can they in turn be charged with possessing the proscribed substances?

- Is it sufficient to merely point out drug peddlers and the availability of hard drugs, without passing the information to authorities and capturing their response, to balance the story by featuring the side of law enforcers?

- Is it safe for a journalist to lie to or trick sellers of hard drugs into availing the substance, only to expose them on TV? Is it sane for the journalist to blatantly showcase how the subterfuge was achieved?

Random thoughts maybe, but worth some sober reflection don't you think?

FLIGHT OF FANCY AND THE TV NEWS FALLACY

An outstanding performance caught the eye of the President of Kenya. This resulted in a massive change of fortunes for the young man, courtesy of the President's generosity. But a subsequent TV news fallacy seemed to suggest that any fine dramatist, could have similarly elicited the same response, from Uhuru Kenyatta.

The TV news item sets off by depicting how a gifted young dramatist was denied the opportunity to showcase his talent to the Head of State. In all fairness, that 'cruel' omission was irregular, given that the boy was part of a  presentation that had won big in the National Schools and Drama Festival.

This, it appears, and going by traditional practice, should have resulted in a direct ticket to perform before Kenya's President. But for some unexplained reasons, that invite didn't come from the organizers of the state function.

But the reporter weaved the story to also 'insinuate' that had the aforementioned boy been allowed to perform before the President, he could possibly have been the beneficiary of Uhuru's reward.

And this is based on the self-made assessment that the boy was a better performer, when it comes to matters of the stage, when he compares himself with the star performer, who charmed the President's heart and pockets.

If this is not a flight of fancy, then I don't know what is. But it's definitely a TV news fallacy, because there's no way to prove that the President would have been predisposed to be equally, or more impressed by any other performer, to the point of bequeathing the same financial reward.

THE PAIN OF DANCING TO MEDIA DISCORDANCE

The importance of a sensible flow of thought is increasingly being overlooked in the Kenyan media scene. This should be factored in from the crafting of news stories, to the packaging and delivery of the same. Failure to do so will unleash upon the audience, the pain of dancing to media discordance.

Why is it possible, e.g., for a Kiswahili newscast to have a 'Breaking News' banner entirely written in English? Is it impossible to translate the information and deliver it in the same language the presenters are using to communicate with the target audience?

And why should a newspaper use words that twist the meaning or context of a depicted situation, to create a false impression? The headline of the above article heavily suggests the late Senator Mutula Kilonzo spookily spoke his last words to his wife, while anticipating his imminent demise.

This blatantly contradicts what the main body of the story clearly states. And since the context of Mutula's statement is so evident in this section of the article, one can only speculate about the competence of the headline writer for this moving story.

And just how can a national paper be allowed to go to print with such 'grammarcide' and confidently hit the newsstand?

INSECURE WITH THE WEST AND THE ALLURE OF THE EAST

Reactions, after reports that American President Barack Obama will once again skip Kenya, in his second tour of Africa, have exposed how the East African nation is insecure in its relationship with the West. But the East is beckoning and its allure is gaining traction locally, if not globally.

- The Chinese have incredibly found a way of fusing millennia-old traditions and the trappings of modernisation.

- The people are friendly and very welcoming, when it comes to interaction with international visitors. Perhaps curiosity plays a big part but there is no belittlement or lack of dignity and respect in the engagement.

- Every effort is made to ensure that huge pubic investments, like the Beijing Olympic Park, continue to generate revenue, years after the games closed shop.

- The citizens derive great pleasure in visiting landmark sites like the Tiananmen Square...

...and exploring the rich history of the Forbidden City......

...to the ancient wonder of the world that is the Great Wall of China.

- And let no one fool you that doing business with the East is perilous. The West itself is already deeply immersed in trading with China, (the numerous KFC outlets in Beijing are an apt indicator).

APOLOGY NOT ACCEPTED! THE ON AIR ERROR AND THE NAIVETY TERROR

For more than 15 minutes, a national TV station saw no need to correctly state, who is Kenya's Head of State. From the start of the live newscast, a grossly misleading on screen graphic, was prominently displayed. The apology came much later, and its delivery was even more shocking.

In the first instance, did the error completely elude the attention of the entire production and editorial crew involved in preparing this particular broadcast? And if one or more people noticed it, was there no way of raising the alert promptly?

And if the 'little monumental' mistake found its way on air, one would expect somebody would have detected it, simply because it was staring right back at whoever cared to look at it.

In spite of all the complexities associated with a live news broadcast, there is just no excuse for the attention to details and presence of mind elements to be so grossly overlooked.

But the clincher came, about 17 minutes later.

Somebody eventually realised something had gone wrong. And I can risk a hefty bet that the clue must have emanated from the social media circles.

Soon after, the news presenter offered the station's apology, but almost as a by the way, matter of non-importance, needle in a haystack inconsequential serendipity...with a chuckle!!!

And that is why in my books, the apology is not acceptable! (it's also negating the viewer's intelligence by saying the error was a typo: 'Raila' and 'Rais' are at most distant cousins lexicographically).