Media called upon to educate the public
By Agnes Mwangangi/Beth Nyaga
The media has been called upon to take up its role of educating the public to make informed choices in the forthcoming General Election and strive to report on issues as opposed to personalities.
Speaking during a stakeholder’s forum in Naivasha with senior editors from various media houses, participants urged journalists to investigate the underlying issues that generate disharmony and manifest as ugly confrontations between leaders to the dismay of citizens.
Media Council of Kenya, CEO Dr Harun Mwangi noted that though the industry is facing its own challenges such as self-censorship and media freedom, the credibility of journalists should not be compromised.
Editor’s Guild Chairperson Linus Kaikai pointed out that journalists should avoid getting embedded or leaning towards certain parties to sustain objective reporting.
He called on journalists to identify and report on issues that are close to the heart of Kenyans such as development gaps and good governance.
The forum organized by the media Council of Kenya aimed at addressing issues relating to elections reporting and coverage, information sharing and promoting public confidence in the electoral process.
