Media must be fair, balanced and impartial in coverage of poll campaigns

Kenyans no longer see journalists as passive players in politics but as high-profile information sources and potent public opinion shapers.

Journalists are the first point of call when people are looking for information, especially on elections.

This is why retrospection on the role of the industry ahead of the August General Election is on point.

The run-up to the 2022 polls is already radiating a lot of heat, particularly on the presidential seat.

With parties and coalitions having been cemented, the top seat remains the most hotly contested in Kenya’s history.

Elections come with several dynamics that threaten the integrity of the information landscape in Kenya. 

This calls for the right skills to expose fake news, including political propaganda, and stop the cycle of misinformation and disinformation, not only on media platforms but also on social media and face-to-face communication.

Media Council of Kenya (MCK) reports on the coverage of the ongoing campaigns have shown marked improvement compared to the situation in 2017.

Media monitoring report

In the April-June MCK media monitoring report, the Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga was ahead of the Kenya Kwanza coalition flagbearer William Ruto at 61.2 per cent and 38.2 per cent respectively.

Roots Party candidate George Wajackoyah and his running mate got 0.54 per cent whereas Agano party’s David Mwaura had 0.02 per cent.

This has changed, according to our latest figures, where Dr Ruto’s publicity volumes stand at 46 per cent against Raila’s 45 per cent.

Roots Party’s George Wajackoyah is third at six per cent while Agano Party’s David Mwaure received three per cent publicity.

While improved adherence to journalistic ethics was reported in the first survey, the mismatch seen in allotment of space and airtime should not be ignored.

Even though the disproportionate coverage could be a result of various factors, surveys on media behaviour during elections have seemed to read from one script.

Media perceptions

The fear, however, is about perceptions media creates – sometimes unwittingly – in their audience.

Some resultant perceptions do not bode well for an industry that already faces the challenge of fake news and an unprecedented trust deficit.

Despite the enormous interference of media ownership in the framing and coverage of political stories, journalism should be objective, fair and balanced.

Some candidates win elections because of name recognition arising from media exposure while in some cases, voters shun good candidates due to a lack of information around them due to media blackout.

More than before, the media should interrogate campaign issues and raise awareness around parties, manifestos and poll preparations.

The candidates should also package their issues competitively as opposed to the noise being experienced in rallies.

Journalism must also embrace fact-checking as a primary value. Let everyone be given a chance to be heard.

Mr Omwoyo is the CEO, of the Media Council of Kenya. [email protected]