I am not a big name in the media world, I have never been hired as an editor in a big media house and I have never won any award in the media field. But I believe that I have the capability of telling when a media house is bias because of its house policy or a ownership factor that makes it become a rota agency.
Sometimes back toward the end of the year 2007, I was one among the short listed applicant retained for the position of media expert assistant with the European Union’s Election Observation mission EU/EOM in Kenya. I can recall that on the 15th of November at 10h30’ I presented myself for a test to the International Organisation for Migration head office – IOM- where EU/EOM was operating. I presume you are wondering why I have to write about all this.
The reason why I’m writing this is because among the three test questions asked to me, two were clearly foreseen the current situation here in Kenya. I wish I could remember the exact formulation of the questions and the exposé I did. Unfortunately I can’t. I only remember that one of the questions was to talk on the fairness of news reporting in Kenya and the second was about the clashes in kuresoi.
As I mentioned earlier, I am just an unidentified small fish in the media ocean but I can judge the media and particularly in Kenya where I am based. As you know, the media is a helpful tool and also a dangerous one if not well managed. Many can remember the destruction power of the media that lit the flame of hatred in Rwanda in 1994.
Back to Kenya, after what I observed during the campaign season and the post elections period, I can allow myself to say that all media houses are bias. This sounds better than ROTA agencies (formal or informal). I’m afraid that the laying down of my arguments won’t be possible in this column but I am ready to prove it to whoever would doubt. Putting all media houses in one box seems a bit rude, but what would you say of a television presenter clearly showing his/her sides on live transmission? Did he/she jump the house policy and went ahead for more than 48 hours. What about historical televisions series and political actor’s biographies that went ahead and dug up some old issues. Even foreign broadcasters received in Kenya were trying to influence voter’s preferences a few days before the election exercise.
Now that the situation is becoming untenable, so many things are happening. The media is broadcasting advertorial peace messages and gospel lyrics to calm down the citizen spirit. News anchor are reciting peace appeals, church leaders are investing themselves thoroughly in attempts to bring Kenyans to reason.
Honestly, I see nothing wrong with all these initiatives that deserve praises but where were all these good ideas when the fire was being lit? One should know that after you have set your house into fire, trying or putting it off does not restore your house to the original state. The same should apply to the Kenyan situation where several people have lost their lives and properties.
I think that apart of blaming politician about the current chaos, and complain about the roughness with which we were ousted out of the KICC(Kenya International Conference Centre) where the ECK(Electoral Commission of Kenya)media centre was, the Kenyan media community should accept it’s part of responsibility and blame so that it focuses to the future in dignity.
I might be wrong in my judgment, I think sometimes but just looking at a large growing number of listener tuned to foreign broadcasters gives me confidence.