[kictanet] Media Bill

[Wainaina Mungai]

I stand with Dorcas on the media issue.

What the media is saying is like Paul Wolfowitz insisting that he should from now on be allowed to "self-regulate" ;-) so that he can effectively police corruption in developing countries (as he had promised when he was appointed). 

Laws/rules should not scare our fellow Kenyans in the media unless they know they will soon cross a line they should not. We saw it with the 'matatu' industry that was a law unto themselves ("self-regulating") until order was forced on them by the government. 

Our media has already failed to play the role of a conscience for our society. When our conscience is dead, the law has to be put to effect to guide us.

---
Wainaina Mungai

>  -------Original Message-------
>  From: Dorcas Muthoni <dmuthoni at gmail.com>
>  Subject: Re: [kictanet] Media Bill
>  Sent: 18 May '07 18:06
>  
>  Nice, But the media is far from self regulation. Or at least, we have not
>  seen enough of that. The govt definitely has a role.
>  
>  Mis-information is really a great role the media is recently playing.
>  
>  The public has to be guarded against irresponsible journalism and govt is
>  definitely one of those key stakeholders in ensuring this. A supplier/s
>  cannot be solely trusted on this.
>  
>  
>  On 5/18/07, KANJA WARURU <[LINK: mailto:kanjawaruru at yahoo.com]
>  kanjawaruru at yahoo.com> wrote: Alice,
>  In brief, the Bill seeks to establish
>  a Media Council of Kenya and a Media Advisory Board to
>  regulate journalist, enforce a code of conduct and
>  manage a complaints committee.
>  
>  The Media Owners Association has been campaigning
>  against establishment of statutory media regulation to
>  replace the existing self-regulation mechanism.
>  
>  On Thursday 17th May the MOA issued a press statement
>  to make their two points clear to the govt..
>  
>  1, MOA rejects the Media Bill 2007.
>  
>  2, We have our own Bill which we would be happy to
>  replace with the govt Bill.
>  
>  Will keep you posted on that.
>  Kanja
>  
>  
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