[kictanet] Role of the Media in Kenyan Elections

Tue Mar 19 09:09:47 EAT 2013

Bwana Ndemo,

I agree with you on some issues - the need for a common value system (negotiated value system?); IEBC failures were not entirely to blame on the political class but also on IEBC, both sides did not stick to the law (for example, why did IEBC extend the legal nomination deadline of 18th Jan/Feb?, can't remember the month now). The need for expanding local media ownership is absolutely critical having watched the media struggle with the balance. The media never exhibited independent and competitive broadcasting as they usually do (it was like synchronized gymnastics) - e.g. no investigative journalism, live call-in shows to air views from Kenyans like Ushahidi did on their portal, independent analysis - the analysts were rather constrained, I did not see bold and daring analysis etc.

My next BIG test of the media will be to wait and watch how they will cover the upcoming petition. I understand it will be aired LIVE like they did with the excellent presidential debates.

Edith

-----Original Message-----
From: bitange at jambo.co.ke [mailto:bitange at jambo.co.ke] 
Sent: March 17, 2013 1:13 PM
To: Edith Adera
Cc: bitange at jambo.co.ke; KICTAnet - Media Editors Forum; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: RE: [kictanet] Role of the Media in Kenyan Elections

Edith,
I assumed that your opening statement quoting me was in reference to government.  That is why I explained the policy interventions that the government has put in place to enable freedom of expression.

While we have the necessary legal framework, we the people are held back by lack of a common value system.  These laws that we borrowed have some underlying assumptions that we often miss when we try to enterpret them. 
Politicians must be honest and come out clearly that they are the basis of IEBC problems (which in my view have been covered widely by media in a responsible manner).  We all know that Voter Registration was to start in September.  We all know that party nominations should have been finished by November.  Let us not ask media to deal with issues in the abstract form without analysisng why we have problems everywhere.

In the media for example we need to foster competition by creating more media ownership but we often find ways to kill such moves.  Take for example Digital Migration where CCK has given out 150 licenses for broadcast.  Some of these channels are to address issues that the current media ignores.  Jane for example who is on this list took up a channel to provide education to the most disadvantaged groups in society such as maids who work more than 15 hours a day.  The elite through consumer groups found their way to court citing protection of the poor.

A liberalized media and availability of broadcast channels will benefit mwananchi since quality of content and niche markets (focus on thematic
areas) is what will be key to success.  This is the only way of changing the local media ownership landscape and putting pressure on what we get to see and hear from Media.  We are our own greatest enemies when it comes to reforms.

If I understood the actions of media correctly, they were trying to avoid being used to propagate party propaganda by allowing time to analyze through the issues.  Nowhere in the world media allows what we did in 2007 where we aired raw propaganda.  We need to do more analytics just like most advanced countries.  The change in their strategy is good in fostering the growth of our media.  They therefore need to suppress raw content and give us detailed analysis of what will foster development.
This is the balance I was talking about.

If you have read today's Nation, indeed foreign media has admitted that they came to see us spill blood.  Do not be cheated by Michela Wrongs on the failings of the local journalists.  We shall fail in our responsibilities if our media do as they are expected by their foreign counterparts.

I can write a book on our collective failures and the unfortunate habit of trying to place blame elsewhere.  Let us take responsibility and help this country grow.  Media has shown that they can be indipendent and responsible.

Ndemo.

> Bwana Ndemo,
>
> Why do you say " The problem therefore is not the government.  The 
> problem is US (sisi)." I did not talk about government. I talked about the media.
> why are you afraid?
>
> My argument was about OVER self-regulation of the media that they seem 
> to operate at two different EXTREME ends in two different elections. 
> You refer to it as "Freedom...................vs.................Suppression".
> This time the Kenyan media struggled, really struggled, to maintain a 
> balance between these two extreme ends.
>
> We must maintain a balance and not "silence" people with false peace 
> calls.
>
> Bwana Ndemo, where do you place your current campaign to fight cyber 
> haters - who have gone overboard (and it needs to be tamed) and to 
> crack down on international press along the continuum you used 
> "Freedom...................vs.................Suppression"?
>
> Edith
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: bitange at jambo.co.ke [mailto:bitange at jambo.co.ke]
> Sent: March 11, 2013 7:08 PM
> To: Edith Adera
> Cc: bitange at jambo.co.ke; KICTAnet - Media Editors Forum; KICTAnet ICT 
> Policy Discussions
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Role of the Media in Kenyan Elections
>
> Edith,
> Answers to your questions lie in the Communications Amendment Act 2009 
> and the Media Act 2007.  The two legal instruments were meant to 
> streamline the Broadcast sector in this country and enable 
> self-regulation of Media, diversity of opinion and a pluralist 
> broadcast regime.  Nowhere in these legislations that you find 
> government curtailing freedom of speech.  Many people including David were opposed to the implementation of these laws.
> The subsidiary legislation supporting these laws were borrowed from 
> The UK's communications regulator as well as from the Federal 
> Communications Commission in the US word for word.
>
> The problem therefore is not the government.  The problem is US (sisi).
> Like you put it for Ghana we speak not with facts but opinion.  Rumour 
> spreads faster than anything in Africa simply because we do not have 
> the culture of verifying things.  There is nothing wrong in promoting 
> peace if everybody seeks to understand the balance between freedom 
> (liberty) and supression.  In Britain for example, News of The World 
> was closed down by the government.  Was this suppression of speech?  
> Every British citizens understood that the News Corp had become irresiponsible.
>
> For sure I know the Government wants to know (and I have been asked as 
> to what may have gone wrong) exactly what went wrong with the IEBC systems.
> The Ghanaian and Nigerian ones too had problems.  If you recall, the 
> systems were procured at the last minute even when IEBC had expressed 
> desire to go manual due to lengthy procurement processes.  The 
> manufacturer hurriedly tried to meet the short deadlines.
>
> Even in this forum we are making opinions as if they are facts.  It 
> would help if we have some analyst give us the facts upon which we can 
> advance our opinions.  If you watched the US elections carefully, they 
> were more into analytics and building trajectories that helped citizens understand.
> Take for example four constituencies say, Kilome, Rarieda, Mathioya 
> and Konoin.  Knowing the trend in these constituencies, we could have 
> very easily built a trajectory for all neighbouring constituencies 
> using average turnout and registered voters.  This will give you 
> better insight to ask intelligent questions that will make great news 
> than the way we handle such issues to the extent media would think it is propaganda.
>
> My point is that we had far too much data to make great stories that 
> do not point to violence or hate message.  No mews media that can 
> dismiss a good argument and especially when it is different fresh and 
> logical.  In essence convert data into information.
>
>
> Regards
>
>
> Ndemo.
>
>
>
>
>> 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 
>> voiceless....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 call" which 
>> immediately silenced you! Why should I feel silenced by "a call for 
>> peace"? Our national anthem talks of "peace and liberty", what 
>> happened to "liberty" 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 God's birth of a NEW KENYA.
>> It is NOT (and I repeat NOT) about THE WINNER or THE LOSERS (Do NOT 
>> get me wrong
>> - I don't 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) 
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