PAUSE: NEWSMAKERS POISED TO POSE?

English is fraught with many loopholes, especially for non-native speakers. What appears obvious might not be correct. And what is correct might not be that obvious. Broadcast channels that use English, however, really have no excuse for flouting language rules, or even misusing words. It helps to pause, and ask whether newsmakers can pose, before they get poised to do something.

In the TV lower third caption above, what exactly is the intended meaning?

Supposing 'Ruto allies posed to reject the report', ...wait!...

What report is being referred to here?

Is any viewer tuning in, from whatever part of the world, expected to be familiar with this report?

That's what using the definite article, 'the' would imply, right?

Back to the posing business...composing this strap means.....

....the news/program production team is explicitly suggesting that before Ruto allies rejected 'the report' they first posed!

Posed for a picture? Posed to ask a question? Posed with the intention of falsely misrepresenting or impressing?

Indeed, it would have been helpful to pause, and ask if newsmakers can pose, before they get poised to do something.

FRAUDULENT TV CONTENT AND ON AIR FRAUDSTERS

Kenyan television can be a fraud. If you tune in, you're not sure whether you are adding to your level of knowledge, or if what you have is being subtracted from. The broadcasts have many learning opportunities. But there's also a real danger of eroding one's intelligence. A viewer can feel defrauded, by on air fraudsters, under the guise of content editors, or disguised as program producers.

In the above screenshot, it's not clear what was the intention of using the 'word':

'FRAUDS'

- Is it a proper conjugation from the root word 'fraud'?

- Does it even correctly convey the sense of somebody doing something wrong?

- Is it a legitimate verb? Or an illegitimate noun?

So many pertinent questions...one obvious answer.

It's either there's a false self-confidence by media practitioners in their ability to make up words, or more accurately, perhaps, there's a need for more English lessons in that newsroom.

It's a fraud, I tell you... and I hope you don't trust these frauds!