[kictanet] OT: the STAR as a (mis)Information Media

Wed Jun 13 14:20:33 EAT 2012

I'm writing a paper about reliability & information just now. One of the
more interesting bits of psychology research I've come across is this: even
very children quickly pick up the importance of assessing informants for
reliability. And one of the ways they do it is to ask whether the informant
has an obvious interest in the information. This is a lesson the
*Star*appears not to have learnt: if your test for the  reliability of
information coming into your newsroom is to ask some other person in the
newsroom ---  to ask *another* person with a strong interest in the
information being true --- then you haven't really improved matters. It
would be nice if they saw fit to appoint some sort of independent fact
checker.

Daniel Waweru
www.kenyaimagine.com
Art and analysis; debate and opinion.

On 13 June 2012 11:23, Andrea Bohnstedt <andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com
> wrote:

> Here's a comment from the Star's public editor, Karen Rothmeyr, which ran
> in today's edition:
>
>
> http://www.the-star.co.ke/public-ed/79992-where-there-is-smoke-there-may-not-be-fire
>
> Worth a read.
>
> On 12 June 2012 13:32, Muchiri Nyaggah <muchiri at semacraft.com> wrote:
>
>> The managing editor takes responsibility. I'm hoping that's not a
>> question they are asking themselves at The Star.
>>
>>
>> Kind regards,
>>
>> Muchiri Nyaggah | PRINCIPAL PARTNER
>> @muchiri
>> Cell: +254 722 506400
>>
>>
>>
>> We work with leaders to identify and bring to market great innovations in
>> Africa.
>>
>> SEMACRAFT CONSULTING PARTNERS
>> Nairobi, Kenya.
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>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Jun 12, 2012 at 1:20 PM, Chelimo Ken <ken at kenyatelecentres.org>wrote:
>>
>>> Dear all,
>>> It is actually very disgusting to see everything (picture and the
>>> caption) being presented wrongly in the newspaper. I doubt the credibility
>>> of the editors who are bound to counter check all stories and captions and
>>> ensure that they are correct. Somebody seems to be sleeping on the job. As
>>> far as newspaper editing is concerned, somebody has to take responsibility
>>> for this blunder  but who is it? The managing editor, news editor,
>>> sub-editor or photo editor?
>>>
>>> Ken
>>>
>>> On Tue, Jun 12, 2012 at 12:41 PM, Odhiambo Washington <
>>> odhiambo at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> It's not enough to offer apology on FaceBook. Personally I'd like to
>>>> see that prominently on Page 1, in print. It also nonsensical that they are
>>>> unable to verify facts. I wonder if they will apologise again on Facebook
>>>> that their photo and caption in the front pages today are blatantly wrong!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Tue, Jun 12, 2012 at 11:57 AM, Andrea Bohnstedt <
>>>> andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I saw someone's comment on Facebook yesterday that the picture was a
>>>>> stock photograph and forwarded it to the managing editor. They printed a
>>>>> correction today, saying that a reader had called in and offered a
>>>>> photograph from the crash, and I also noticed that Paul Ilado posted an
>>>>> apology on Facebook yesterday.
>>>>>
>>>>> On 12 June 2012 11:50, Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack at gmail.com>wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Agreed Washi, we need responsible journalism. The Ps did the right
>>>>>> thing.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Best Regards
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Tue, Jun 12, 2012 at 11:40 AM, Odhiambo Washington <
>>>>>> odhiambo at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I am beginning to hate the STAR now. It appears that they always
>>>>>>> want to look sensational with their news, which stops them from verifying
>>>>>>> the facts. Something reminds me that they appointed a lady recently to look
>>>>>>> into complaints such as I want to raise now, but I don't remember her
>>>>>>> contacts.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Yesterday, the STAR published a photo in the front page, allegedly
>>>>>>> of the crashed Police Chopper, with smoke billowing from the engine.
>>>>>>> Today the STAR has again published a photo, in the front page, of
>>>>>>> one of the deceased pilots inside the cockpit of a different aircraft, wnd
>>>>>>> which the STAR shamelessly alleges is the cockpit of the aircraft that
>>>>>>> crashed.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> First, the photo they published yesterday is not even of a same
>>>>>>> model chopper as the one that crashed.
>>>>>>> Secondly, the photo they have today is the cockpit of an aircraft
>>>>>>> registered as 5Y-STA as opposed to 5Y-CDT which belongs to the chopper that
>>>>>>> crashed.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Of late I have seen quite some misinformation inside the STAR. Could
>>>>>>> that be what they mean by "Fresh, Independent, Different"? That they are
>>>>>>> unable to verify simple facts?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I am glad PS Ndemo has filed a complaint against this publication,
>>>>>>> which is almost becoming pamphlet derivative.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Best regards,
>>>>>>> Odhiambo WASHINGTON,
>>>>>>> Nairobi,KE
>>>>>>> +254733744121/+254722743223
>>>>>>> _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
>>>>>>> I can't hear you -- I'm using the scrambler.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Barrack O. Otieno
>>>>>> +254721325277
>>>>>> +254-20-2498789
>>>>>> Skype: barrack.otieno
>>>>>> http://www.otienobarrack.me.ke/
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder
>>>>>> platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy
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>>>>>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable
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>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Andrea Bohnstedt <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/andreabohnstedt>
>>>>> Publisher
>>>>> +254 720 960 322
>>>>>
>>>>> www.ratio-magazine.com
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder
>>>>> platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy
>>>>> and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>>>>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>>>>
>>>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
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>>>>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Best regards,
>>>> Odhiambo WASHINGTON,
>>>> Nairobi,KE
>>>> +254733744121/+254722743223
>>>> _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
>>>> I can't hear you -- I'm using the scrambler.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
>>>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>>>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>>>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>>>
>>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>>>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>>>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>>>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
>>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>>
>>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>
>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Andrea Bohnstedt <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/andreabohnstedt>
> Publisher
> +254 720 960 322
>
> www.ratio-magazine.com
> Find/post East Africa careers<http://www.ratio-magazine.com/careers/index.php>
> Find/post conferences, workshops, trainings, other business events<http://www.ratio-magazine.com/businessevents/index.php>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
> Unsubscribe or change your options at
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>
> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>
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