[kictanet] The role of Media in political developement

[Matunda Nyanchama]

This is a timely topic that needs deeper discussion and more insightful examination than can happen on a mailing list.

It almost requires a conference of its own to address the many facets of media and its role in society such as informing, educating, provoking thought, challenging society when necessary, etc. Investigative journalism has been the basis of revolutionary changes in some societies. We need more of this in Kenya.


Media, however, cannot be divorced from the society in which it operates. We hear of hints of how some media personalities are in the pockets of "money bags" (yes on the take) with the latter assured of being headline subjects regardless of whether what they do is significant or not. Rumours abound of stories get killed, stymied or "pumped up" once money is thrown into the works.

Back in the 1990s Kenneth Matiba, in one of his rumbling press conferences, attacked the very same media he was addressing. It is said he fingered even the person that  was exacting bribes from him in return for favourable coverage.

Like other areas in our society, media is ethics challenged. Most professions in the country face the same; we need a social rebirth to entrench professionalism in service of the country.

Yet, we must NOT condemn all  media. Like in all other professions and society strata, there are a lot of good people struggling to do the right thing through and through. However, as a friend once remarked while we were stuck in a Nairobi traffic jam: if one is in an environment where everyone (majority sounds better) is breaking the rules, those that follow the rules suffer. 


Have a good weekend.

 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, CISSP; mnyanchama at aganoconsulting.com
Agano Consulting Inc.;  www.aganoconsulting.com; Twitter: nmatunda;  Skype: okiambe
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Be prepared to face ICT Security failures & know how to respond when they happen! 
Call: +1-888-587-1150 or info at aganoconsulting.com
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk I have a workstation…" - Anonymous
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This e-mail, including attachments, may be privileged and may contain confidential or proprietary information intended only for the addressee(s). Any other distribution, copying, use, or disclosure is unauthorized and strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and permanently delete the message, including any attachments, without making a copy. Thank you.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/attachments/20120512/d8898270/attachment.htm>