Agreed, we acknowledge "two wrongs" however, in our quick condemnation, we risk losing sight of the first wrong. The point am making is that official statements released in condemning the "second wrong" should not be made in a way that sanitises the "first wrong". I have personal experiences of how media runs to "press freedom" to get the "first wrong" to disappear. The perpetrators of the "second wrong" must be punished as prescribed by the law so that we do not have a repeat of either wrongs. ;-) Wainaina

-------Original Message------- From: Eric Osiakwan <eric@afrispa.org> Subject: Re: [Kictanet] Re: Burning and Closure of Standard Media Group Sent: 02 Mar '06 12:59

Wainaina,

Please permit me to differ with you.

The civilised world has resolved to ensure that there are due processes subject to the rule of law by which we deal with such reculcitrant elements of our deomocratic experiment so to ignore such consitutional and instituional mechanisms is worse a precident as the acts of the reculcitrant element being subjected.

Two wrongs dont make a right.

---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: "Wainaina Mungai" <wainaina@madeinkenya.org> Reply-To: Kenya ICT Policy - kictanet <kictanet@kictanet.or.ke> Date: Thu, 02 Mar 2006 12:01:21 +0300

...

Dear all,

As we all so readily rotest against the unwarranted destruction of property etc, let us not be sucked into supporting misconduct within the media. We must not lose sight of the fact that the media has become is a law unto itself; while the rest of society is governed by rules of civilised conduct. The media is a powerful tool that has even been abused to the extent of fueling conflict in many countries. As we all know, it has also been used positively.

However, there are currently several cases in court and other incidents that indicate the media has failed to regulate itself. The Media Council of Kenya may just have proved to Kenyans over the years that the concept of self-regulation may be the way to go in Kenya.  

As much as I empathise with the Standard Group, I would urge them to give Kenyans (wether in government or not) a fair hearing and endevour to report ONLY the truth. Sensational reporting in an attempt to gain market share will lead to situations as we have now as the parties seek resolution (whether the methods are wrong or right). In cases where mistakes a made, they should not hid apologies in a small corner of page 92 but put into where the original story (Page 1, if the story was a headline story) and so on. Anything short of that should be handled by very stringent laws of conduct.    

Politically incorrect but I hope it will keep us focused. There is an urgent need to get a working system for regulation of the media conduct.

--- Wainaina Mungai http://www.madeinkenya.org

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

...

  -------Original Message-------   From: Waudo Siganga <csk@nbi.ispkenya.com>   Subject: Burning and Closure of Standard Media Group   Sent: 02 Mar '06 19:29      Dear Colleagues,      The reports received this morning regarding the crackdown and closure of   the Standard Media Group are shocking and the CSK will issue a statement on   the same later in the day.      Kind Regards   Waudo Siganga   Chairman   The Computer Society of Kenya         ---   Submitted by: csk@nbi.ispkenya.com 2006-03-02 00:40:37 EST5   (Please reply to original submitter for private communication)   ---   You are currently subscribed to kiplist-cl as: [wainaina.mungai@oneworld.net]   To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-kiplist-cl-117112D@lyris.idrc.ca      

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