[kictanet] Role of the Media in Kenyan Elections

Mon Mar 11 13:12:00 EAT 2013

Andrea,

I am surprised that you do not know much about the practice of western media
in reporting for Africa in general and Kenya in particular. I would be
forthright that they do not report anything positive and lavish it much when
there is violence for then there have much for the media channels. This is
no secret 

Unfortunately this time there was not much to report about. Yet there were
isolated incidents of media reporting inflammatory about certain events
during the election process. Judging by the headlines of some of the UK
media clearly they were more ambitious than the situation on the ground was.

The era of Kenyans relying on western media for sensational news is gone.
Our local media has matured and come to understand the importance of
fostering peace and growing our nation. We cannot expect this to be done by
people from outside. And the beginning of this process is providing balanced
sober and accurate information on the ground, without raising tensions on
very delicate issues or at delicate moments of our history.
In the last 2007, there pictures of violence everywhere. The realtime
reporting only managed to fan the violence even more in other locations
making it difficult for the security organs to contain.
It is this chain reactions to sensational reporting that we are against,
whilst respecting the liberty of Kenyans.

Regards
Sammy

From:  Andrea Bohnstedt <andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com>
Date:  Monday, March 11, 2013 12:31 PM
To:  <buruchara at mac.com>
Cc:  KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject:  Re: [kictanet] Role of the Media in Kenyan Elections

Sammy, I don't understand why you reference Western media - this had little
to do with them. 
Edith raised the important point that many Kenyans found themselves
speechless and voiceless. It's an issue worth addressing, I think. I fully
understand that in the Kenyan context, the media houses agreed not to
broadcast political party statements live. But between that, and a wholesale
silencing of any critical voice, there might have been some ground to look
at claims, check if you can find anything to debunk them instantly or
substantiate them, and then report on this.

Have a good week, everyone,
Andrea 

On 11 March 2013 12:18, Sammy Buruchara <buruchara at me.com> wrote:
> Edith,
> 
> With due respect, I disagree with you.
> Western governments always preach this kind of liberty that gives license to
> all kinds of inflammatory information that agitate people yielding the 2007
> type of reactions.
> 
> Whatever the views of people, we must not use the tools of mass communications
> to incite people to wanton killings in the name of liberty. Even the Western
> media in their home countries have a code of conduct that includes delayed
> transmissions during major event such as Super Bowls or even their own
> elections.
> 
> How was the media call for peace a tool of "oppression"?
> I frankly hold a different view and believe that our media has done us proud.
> Kenya has structures of government and communication and any aggrieved party
> has avenues for redress without spread of malicious and unconfirmed rumors
> that lead to violence and loss of life.
> 
> Sammy Buruchara
> 
> From:  Edith Adera <eadera at idrc.ca>
> Date:  Monday, March 11, 2013 11:34 AM
> To:  Sammy Buruchara <Buruchara at me.com>
> Cc:  KICTAnet - Media Editors Forum <mediaeditors at lists.kictanet.or.ke>,
> KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> Subject:  [kictanet] Role of the Media in Kenyan Elections
> 
> Listers,
>  
> For the 2007 elections, Bwana Ndemo is on record here (KICTANET) condemning
> the role of the media in fueling the violence.
>  
> In 2013, the media played a different role. If you now reflect back  deep and
> hard  it occurred to me that  the over-rated, over-hyped, over-done "call for
> peace" was actually a "tool of oppression"!!
>  
> Why do I say this? Many a Kenyans found themselves speechless and
> voicelessŠ.you were not given a chance to speak your mind, to question, to
> freely air your opinions or liberally reflect on the going ons.  You were
> promptly slapped with the "peace call² which immediately silenced you! Why
> should I feel silenced by ³a call for peace²? Our national anthem talks of
> ³peace and liberty², what happened to ³liberty² during this period?
>  
> Most Kenyans locked themselves in their houses, scared stiff of the unknown.
> Reflecting back it was truly a "silence tool".
>  
> In my view, what is going on in Kenya is God¹s birth of a NEW KENYA. It is NOT
> (and I repeat NOT) about THE WINNER or THE LOSERS (Do NOT get me wrong  I
> don¹t mind about that). It is about laying a NEW FOUNDATION for Kenya that is
> built on TRUTH (RIGHTEOUSNESS) and JUSTICE, especially during this Jubilee
> period (50 years of our existence as a nation as we enter into the next 50
> years  the next Jubilee).
>  
> From now on, and as our national anthem aptly states, JUSTICE will truly be
> our SHIELD and DEFENDER.
>  
> Sustainable peace (not FALSE PEACE) is built on the foundations of TRUTH
> (righteousness) and JUSTICE.
>  
> Reflective Edith
>  
> Quote: I should like to be able to love my country and still love justice
> (Albert Camus)
> _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.kehttps://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kic
> tanet Unsubscribe or change your options at
> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/buruchara%40me.com 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.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> kictanet mailing list
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
> 
> Unsubscribe or change your options at
> https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/andrea.bohnstedt%40ratio
> -magazine.com
> 
> 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

www.ratio-magazine.com <http://www.ratio-magazine.com>
www.africa-assets.com <http://www.africa-assets.com>

_______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change
your options at 
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/buruchara%40mac.com
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.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/attachments/20130311/fb0faf78/attachment.htm>