[kictanet] Are we a media state?

[Alex Gakuru]

Let's face it, we are all afraid of the media
projecting us badly. As the saying goes the media
"makes or kills". That is tremendous power either ways
depending on how it is used. Their pen can kill or
make things happen.

But "the media" is not a homogeneous thing. Like every
other sector of society it has good people,
questionable people and crooks as well. 

When I proposed that respective media houses conduct
own audits, the media council another, and the
government to  do the final task force, it was on the
premise that we all accepted that "the media" played a
very big role in the events that led to the sorry of
Kenya. We were looking at fixing the problem so that
it never again happens in Kenya. I still stand by my
statement. 

It is saddening to read that the media council has
gone ahead to form not an audit but "a task force".
And that  they point to towards claiming that the
government does not have the mandate to form a task
force. In self-support, sections of the same media
float suspicions "what is the ministry up to?" then
reporting "media control is a tool traditionally used
by oppressive governments" and editorials...

If even MPs in clash-torn areas turn to and ask 
government for protection in their own areas, is it
right for the media not to recognise that "for-common
good" government always must always be recognised 
as the supreme authority on the the state? Is the
media exempt from all forms of external audit? 

If this is the case, then we may as well come to terms
that we moved to a "media state", just like exists
"police states", dictators etc etc and in that
scenario the media controls even all its critisms and
would not be any different from past  "news" critical
e.g. to police etc for conducting internal closed
investigations. Trust in their honesty delivery of
news to consumers becomes questionable and one is left
never to trust all news.

Consumers need a media they can trust their
information. A media open governance scrutiny the
always help us hold government open and accountable.
 
The government look after all of us, including the
media and I recognize government as the final power
over society's welfare. 


If we fail to collectively correct recent mistakes
then "media resources" might also well be included in
the ongoing peace talks because daily information
consumers  mind and opinion control is the most
powerful national asset.

Regards,

Alex Gakuru


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