I believe we need to exercise more objectivity. If the Nation could not verify a story does
that mean the Standard is not capable of doing what the Nation could not do ? When
the Nation was exclusively reporting on the AL scandal (which coincidentally is not
receiving the focus among other reports ie Goldenberg, Ndungu report following
the attack on the Standard), was that irresponsible reporting since the Standard did
not corroborate what the Nation was reporting ? There is indeed a reason why in media
circles there is something known as a "scoop". The Standard left it up to the objectivity of the
readers to make their judgement and stated it had spoken to specific sources who were
not named, is this irresponsible when it has not yet  been proved beyond resonable doubt that
those sources do not exist ?  Was it irresponsible for those who have seen the Githongo
dossier for the Nation to report on matters that certainly touched on substantial matters
of National Security ?

From the original article, numerous sources have been cited, has it been proven by way
of the same sources who are cited that the Standard fabricated those sources statements ?
Until that happens let us not be quick to judge, besides the matter is now before the courts.
Sure there are many examples in today's media of irresponsible journalism, this one just does
not appear to make that cut, however ultimately the outcome of the court case shall determine
that aspect :

            The Saturday Standard established that Kalonzo visited State House on Thursday
            February 16, at 8.30pm, after a brief stay in Nakuru on his way from Baringo
            where he had met 120 Kalenjin professionals at Soi Lodge to seek their support
            for the Presidency.
           
            Sources told The Saturday Standard that since the President reconstituted his
            Cabinet after the referendum, Kalonzo had tried to get an appointment with
            Kibaki through Kombo.
           
            Yesterday, Kombo could not be reached for comment. But one of his assistants Ms
            Yvonne Khamati said she was unaware of any talks between Kombo and Kalonzo over
            an appointment with State House.
           
            "If there are such talks, they must be along the lines of forming coalitions. A
            lot of people are talking to the minister on the possibility of forming an
            alliance," Khamati said.
            
           
            Kalonzo could not be reached as his phone went unanswered most of yesterday. But
            one of his assistants said there was no such meeting between Kalonzo and the
            President.
           
            Not many in ODM or LDP know about the Kibaki, Kalonzo meeting. An official at
            the LDP Secretariat Mumbi Ngaru said she has heard of Kalonzo's visit to State
            House.
           
            "But that is all I know. I have heard of that," Mumbi said.
           
            A confidential source close to Kalonzo, but who does not approve of the former
            minister's move, told The Saturday Standard that the MP would like to rejoin
            government.

Kenyan consumers have a right to exercise their personal bias and economic rights by not
buying publications that thrive on irresponsibility and deception. The fact that some of
the so called "gutter" publications are still in business is an indicator that irresponsibility
in reporting does not outweigh responsibility within the media sector. Simply put, one bad banana does not make the entire bunch bad. Yes, there are corrupt journalists in the same
sector, some of them prominent, and it is indeed important that any statements issued are
objective, but objectivity in doing so should not be used to compromise the thrust of any
primary message. In this case an assault on civil liberties and freedom of the press was
indeed the focus and as time will tell the story that has commonly been associated with the
raid had little or nothing to do with the reasoning behind what took place at the Standard.

Just as Ndugu Wainaina cites the example of a senior editor in the Standard of having
been fired from the Nation for taking bribes, there similarly are journalists in the
 "responsible media" who regularly receive brown envelopes so as to write articles that
mislead Kenyans. The immediate former Minister for Information and Communications
alluded to this fact but not many people chose to pay close attention, neither was any
action taken. The fight against corruption must also be extended to include the media
as well as any other sector that has been tainted by this scourge.
 
I believe there is no law barring a media outlet for being biased. Media outlets have a right
to serve segments that they deem to be profitable. Private media outlets are not funded with
tax payer funds and thus can afford to be biased. If the public felt that the bias was not
acceptable then those same outlets would not be in business today, that is not to say that
there are no limits to bias and as long as an outlet keeps to limits established under law
then there should not no problem.


On 3/6/06, Wainaina Mungai <wainaina@madeinkenya.org> wrote:
1. Is the media in Kenya without blame? I have the likes of Standard/KTN/Kass FM/Inooro & Weekly Citizen et. al. in mind?

2. If not, then why do we find it hard to demand better services to the Kenyan consumer? Why do we find it so hard to say "and we demand that the media report accurately and without bias in their service to Kenyans". Just that, and we would have moved a step forward in objectivity.

3. The Nation did not publish the Kalonzo/StateHouse story because "it could not be verified" even after they objectively checked with their own sources - http://allafrica.com/stories/200603030414.html . The Nation did not find the story plausible and all parties (Kalonzo, Raila and State House) claimed it was a fabrication. Who is telling untruths here and why should KICTANet so readily believe The Standard story. Since when did it become ok to fabricate strories? If the story was true, did State House LIE to Kenyans? We cannot escape from putting the media to task here because a fabricated story would be a dangerous precedent that KICTANet and Kenyans in general must protest. The same applies if State-House told Kenyans a lie. We should not allow this story to go away because it imply that the highest office in the land has resorted to outright fabrication of which we must protest.

4. Do we all remember that one of the senior editors at the The Standard was fired from Nation for taking a bribes so as to publish falsehoods? Why are we so convinced that the same would not recur in any media house? Don't we leavbe with the reality of Inooro and Citizen's biased coverage everyday?  Is this the media Walu is asking us to defend?

5. KTN or Citizen are not the "Kenyan consumer" of media products. Kenyans are helpless receipient of fabrticated stories while the media is teh offending party here. These media houses are not devoid of political bias and in some extreme cases, tribal bias. The days of people hiding behind an attack on "our people" when they are caught misconduct went in December 2002. No-one in government or outside it should use Kenyans as his defence when he has offended the ethical dmands of his/her vocation or even the laws of the land.

Walu, the days of irresponsible media must come to an end as much as the days of draconian action. Neither the state nor the media has a right to abuse what freedoms and powers Kenyan (citizens and consumers) accord them.

The Kenyan consumer comes first.

Wainaina