Kenya Times, Kenya
April 1 2007
Journalists do not just make up stories
By OBWOCHA JOSELYNE
Sometimes reporters are left with no option but to speculate.
Take a case where there has been a closed door meeting with no press
briefing at the end. What is a reporter supposed to do?
We simply round up issues leading to the meeting and try to come up
with the most logical reason such a meeting is taking place.
Journalists have a difficult task. The media must provide the public
with answers which sometimes the journalists themselves do not have.
All we can do is to raise questions surrounding the issue and leave
the public to make their own conclusions and judgments.
Journalism is, and has always been one of the most dangerous careers.
In countries where freedom of speech is not tolerated, reporters who
are determined to reveal the absolute truth about public officials
and the government are ever in trouble.
The leaders understand the power and influence of the media, and will
often come out strongly against a free press, accusing it of all
manner of evils.
The matter of the raid on The Standard and Kenya Television Network
is yet to be put to rest. Pro government politicians were more than
ready to lead demonstrations all over the country in support of the
government, urging the media to be responsible, threatening to ask
Kenyans to boycott The Standard if the paper doesn’t stop
`fabricating’ stories.
The insults hauled at journalists covering the event must have left
those who understand the role of the Fourth Estate wondering if these
people really knew what they were doing. Do these politicians really
love this country?
When our artists came up with the Jaza Lorry initiative to raise
money and food for hunger stricken millions, where were these
politicians? Or were there bigger issues taking away their attention?
Why didn’t they donate at least part of their huge salaries to help
the hungry? How many of these politicians were at The Carnivore
supporting the Dettol Heart Run?
Coming up in arms supporting a government that a majority of people
believe is a huge let down and attacking the media has only
trivialised the incident to a battle between the government and The
Standard Group. Why is the government being selective?
Let us be realistic. There are countless other media houses in this
country where the words, impartiality, responsibility and
professionalism are alien, Yet they have been left to operate without
any interference from the government.
Why now? Why The Standard? Is it because most of its shareholders and
gate keepers are supposedly from the opposition, in this government
of national unity?
Yet even if they were, don’t they have a right to criticize and push
the government to keep on its toes, to deliver to Kenyans? Isn’t this
the main role of the opposition and the press, anyway?
The media has more freedom these days, and it will be ever more
difficult to take away even an inch of this freedom.
What International Security minister John Michuki goes a long way to
prove how civil former dictator Moi was. Moi had his faults with the
media, but they did not come so soon in his career, and not so
brutally.
While he created torture chambers for those who opposed the
government, let us not forget that it is the media which first
revealed the horror therein.
Do you remember how strongly the then government denied these
allegations yet in the long run, before they all turned out to be
true?
Then there is thing called the Kenya Union of Journalists. Where did
this outfit come from with the suggestion to give all foul mouthed
politicians a media blackout? Publicity gives power to politicians
and popularity to entertainers.
Denying politicians publicity may send them to the world of oblivion,
but won’t this give them a field day to continue with their vices
with impunity, away from the glare of the media.
We should not forget the kind of people we sent to parliament nor the
corruption scandals that have erupted since Narc took power. Stop
covering them; they might as well engage in all kinds of mischief
that may cost Kenyans millions.
Is it not because of the pressure from the media that some ministers
implicated in corruption scandals have resigned, or stepped aside, as
they would have us believe?
The attack on the watchdogs is testimony to how powerful the dog is.
Journalists should adhere to their code of ethics and be there to
inform, educate, explain, nay even incite people against their
government. It should be understood that the media’s first
responsibility is to the people, and not to a bad government.
The burning issue this week has been about the two Armenians who have
surfaced from nowhere and are claiming to be businessmen, not
`mercenaries.’
The two claim to have been in contact with two ODM leaders; Raila
Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka. They allege to have funded the Orange
group during the referendum, through a `personal loan’ given to Raila
Odinga.
There is an interesting twist to this incident. While it was Raila
who first spoke of their presence in the country, he now denies
having met them before.
How then did he get photocopies of their passports, which he showed
to the press? Then there is Kalonzo, who admits having met them
before, but `for a brief moment in the corridors of a hotel.’
Where on earth did lawyer Fred Ngatia get hold of these people to
organize the botched, infamous news conference? What business are
these people conducting in Kenya? How comes all useful files that
would substantiate their claims and, which should under normal
circumstances be easily available to the public, have suddenly gone
missing? Why are they being treated like VIPs? Who allowed them in
the country in the first place?
When ODM leaders organized a demonstration pressing for freedom of
speech, Mayor Dick Wathika, minister Maina Kamanda and Assistant
minister David Mwenje organized a demo in support of the government,
Raila produced copies of passports of the mercenaries. Then only a
day later, they emerged claiming a dubious financial involvement with
the ODM leader.
Coincidence? These are the questions. Where are the answers?
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
