[kictanet] Media council Draft bill 2010 (Day Eight--Code of Conduct/Wrapping up)

[Solomon Mburu Kamau]

Listers,

My response fall immediately under the query on 1(a) below, which is a
direct question put to me by the moderator:

On 02/02/2011, Grace Githaiga <ggithaiga at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> Dear Walubengo, KK, Lydia, McTim, Edwin, Alice and Solomon for your
> contributions. A quick response.
>
> Walubengo, thanks for that pointer to the Tribunal that handles disputes in
> the ICT Sector. If it is working, it definitely is worth looking at how it
> operates.
>
> McTim, sorry about the outdated Code. I hope you will get a chance to look
> at the proposed one which does not differ much from the one in the Media Act
> of 2007.
>
> KK, I see your point about provocative headlines. Different media houses use
> catchy headlines to get the attention of the reader, and yes you have a
> point on the practicality of this. I also see your concern on article 12 of
> the code. Would say 'Jicho Pevu' be justifiable? In article 16, and just to
> follow on your concerns, I am just thinking that if a journalist has 500
> shares of Mumias Sugar, will s/he need to disclose to the editor every time
> there is a story about mumias? I have no answer. I am also being
> hypothetical.
>
> Edwin, you raise an issue that we must pay attention to. I am happy that
> Alice has responded and raised the challenges of regulation of blogs and
> social media and even a major challenge of how they would be made to adhere
> to a code of conduct.
>
> Lydia, I agree with you that it would have been good to have media's
> contribution into this debate. I have no answer as to why they have not
> participated. Maybe they are just too busy or they have another platform.
> However, the contributions that have come from non-media people on this list
> have been very useful and will still inform the Bill, as the new
> constitution places people at the heart of policy making processes.  Maybe
> media people on this list can respond to Lydia?
>
> Solomon thanks for going through the code and pointing out gaps. Your point
> about the need for media to be guided by tenets acceptable to wider
> population has been noted.
>
> In 1(a), did you mean that there is need to distinguish between a reporter,
> editor and broadcaster?

Yes I'd like a distinction in definition be made to a journalist,
editor, reporter and broadcaster. Alternatively, the query can be
satisfied, if it's paraphrased in the preliminary to define a
journalist (n) as 'any person practicing the art of collecting,
collating, researching, editing and publishing information by the use
of electronic means ( TV, radio, the Internet) or publishing in print
form ( Newspapers, magazines, journals etc)'.
By this, it captures who indeed is a journalist, editor, reporter and
a broadcaster, in my view.


>
> On 1(b) and (c), I agree. 'Promptly' needs to have a specific time line.  On
> 3 (a) I agree that the issue of confidentiality may need further debate.
> Further the contradiction on 7 and 3 is noted.
>
> On 9, I think you raise the issue of how 'public interest' will be
> determined.
>
> The need to integrate the Children's Act and the Sexual Offenses into 18 and
> 19 is noted.
>
>
> And yes, the national cohesion and integration commission has guidelines for
> monitoring hate speech in the electronic media. Hate speech is defined as
> any utterance or words intended to incite feelings or contempt, hatred,
> hostility, violence or discrimination against any person, group or community
> on the basis of ethnicity, religion, or race.
>
>
> Rgds
>
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> If you have the strength to survive, you have the power to succeed. Life is
> all about choices we make depending upon the situation we are in. Go forth
> and rule the World!
>
>
>
>


--
Regards,

*Solomon Mbũrũ Kamau*

*****************************************************
*Man is a gregarious animal and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all the
same way to the side of a hill!*

AND

*It is better to die in dignity than in the ignominy of ambiguous
generosity! *

http://smiley2.wordpress.com