TV NEWS NEWBIES, MAINA, 'MEINA' AND A MINOR FAULT MANIAC

It's always pleasant to see fresh talent coming through the Kenyan TV news scene. It's an apt assurance that the fine craft of journalism will have continuity. What's coming through could range from raw brilliance to refined resilience on the training curve. But if it's written Maina, and looks like Maina, it's very likely not supposed to be pronounced 'Meina', lest you awaken a minor fault maniac.

The story depicted above was delivered in an unusual yet delightful way, away from the pattern of visuals, soundbites, natural sounds, sign-off, prevalent across many local TV news channels.

Unfortunately, what stood out for this particular 'minor fault maniac' is the feeble attempt to anglicise the local name of the key subject in the story.

The folly of perhaps wanting to sound sophisticated falls apart on the alter of inconsistency.

The reporter strives to maintain the 'Meina' reference but on more than one occasion, the 'unsouped up' version comes through as the common 'Maina'.

It's good to aspire to be different, but being authentic is often good enough.

TV PRESENTERS, FACING THE AUDIENCE AND HIDING FROM THE CAMERA EYE

In stage plays, the dramatists are often implored to avoid showing their back to the audience. The state of emotions emanate from the face, it appears, so the need to constantly face the audience. In theatre, inexperienced performers have to rehearse proper turning movements. TV news directors should incorporate this practise, to keep some things away from the camera eye and the viewer.

TV being a visual medium, the eyes pick up details remarkably very well, especially anything unusual on the news presenter.

That partly explains why many broadcasting stations enlist the services of a make-up artist, tasked with 'polishing' up the presenters.

But some things cannot be 'hidden' from a viewer, using even the most powerful of of make-up, and so should be carefully kept away from the camera eye.

Is there no other place female presenters can fasten their wireless mic gadgets?

The audience need not be distracted from partaking of the content, by irregular configurations on the back of news presenters.

Back to you!

EDITORIAL SCRAPS AND NEWSPAPER SKYSCRAPERS

To astonish readers is to attract and possibly command their interest, even if for a fleeting moment. And that's why the media happily pick on superlatives and words that are designed to hype a story. This runs the risk of sometimes distorting the reality, but it seems the dividend of locking in the audience, is a valuable payoff. So editorial scraps can easily translate to newspaper skyscrapers.

In the article above, a reader is likely to be drawn in by the headline, which creates the impression that a very high-rise building is being put up.

The average person is bound to be interested by extra-ordinary things and a skyscraper adequately fits the bill of being nothing short of a visual spectacle, for many people.

The expectation is thus heightened only to be followed by a spectacular deflation.

The building in question, it soon emerges, is a mere eleven floors high!

Sure...It's a skyscraper...For Lilliputians!

FEMALE LAWYER, GENDER AGENDA AND MEDIA MISADVENTURES

A lot of gender mainstreaming agitation has been witnessed in Kenya, especially with regards to leadership and political representation. And both the social and mainstream media have played a key role in fighting gender-based marginalisation. This noble agenda, however, is at times undermined by the same press. Is a male lawyer any different from a female lawyer?

In the article above, the story celebrates the achievements of a high flying Kenyan lawyer.

But the editor, (try putting female editor here), finds it appropriate to describe the lawyer as being female!

It should rather be obvious that it's really unnecessary to ascribe gender identities for certain professions like law.

The reader can easily establish that the lawyer is a woman because of the provided name and picture.

So, to expressly state that the lawyer is female at the very beginning is demeaning, condescending and even a disregard for the many achievements of women in various professions.

Top Kenyan lawyer...Good!

Senior female Kenyan lawyer...Goof!