Kenyan Media serving Junk

As Kenyans we complain about the bad publicity that the Western media is giving us. This is because they are selling us short but come back home, is the Kenyan Media doing a better job? With media houses hiring celebrities instead of trained media professionals, we are seeing showbiz on our television instead of news.

                              A section of Kenyan journalists at a function/PHOTO COURTESY.

Ethics have gone down the drain. This is seen by the very fact of journalists posting suggestive updates on their social network page and leaving Kenyans insulting themselves. Another evidence of lack of regard for ethics are radio talk shows in the morning talking about sex, infidelity and callers whose mouths just vomit vulgarity.

The media is so influential in the society. It actually sets the agenda of what is important. When you bring a lady who has forsaken her African skin and dresses skimpily on national television, you are not informing, you are setting a trend. When you put a politician on air and cannot control them then that is lack of professionalism. You can save Kenya.

The media is a watchdog. Kenyans see their country through the eyes of the media. Imagine eating junk food every day. Will you be healthy? Is Kenya all about abusive politicians, sex and groundies? There is a real need for real news that advocates for the ‘’maendeleo’’ agenda.

Celebrities posing as journalists are bad news for the media in Kenya. It is true that they rake in millions in terms of advertisements but when it comes to informing the common man, there is a famine. Kenyans want news not entertainment. There was a time news was all about bestiality and the act become very popular in the media since a monkey see, a monkey do. Remember the issue of women beating up their husbands?

Professionals know where the boundaries lie and they feed you on news instead of hype. News is not something that gets your emotions going. News is information that has to be told and its impact must be weighed.

Media houses should be very serious if they want to maintain standards and integrity. They are not supposed to go out and declare political support. Presenters are sexing up the news and being paid millions while the reporter or writer out in the field earns peanuts.

If we want a good image outside we should start at home. Media is a channel that passes information and that should be the case in Kenya. If there is need for entertainment then we will get a movie and some popcorns.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mercy Opande is a Communications student at Egerton University Kenya.