Goat in a chemist shop and other goofs in photographs and captions

Like so many other readers and viewers, Benjamin Kibias of Nairobi was surprised to see a goat inside a chemist shop. The caption said: “A drug shop in Nyandarua County.

It costs more to hire a specialist but patients are also charged more at these hospitals.” There was no mention of the goat, which had a smooth and glossy coat.

The photo was used to illustrate a story by headlined “80 per cent of pharmacists at hospitals not qualified.” It was published in the Sunday Nation of March 5, 2023, and repeated in Nation.Africa and NTV. 

Depending on the publication and how the photo was cropped, there was one goat or more. Mr Kibias saw more than one. “The accompanying photo had some goats in the pharmacy,” he says.

“There’s no mention of how they found themselves there. Aren’t we supposed to know?” There was no explanation anywhere why the goat was in the shop. Its image should have been cropped out or its presence in the photo explained. Goats are not normally found in chemist shops. Were the editors sloppy?

Many readers thought the editors were being cheeky and they joked about it. Kennie Balo, who watched the NTV story, said the editors wanted to tell viewers that 80 per cent of pharmacists in Kenya have “goat qualification”. Rutere Kagendo agreed that the goat in the chemist shop was symbolic.

“Looking at that goat closely, its walking style, its colour, that is, indeed, a pharmacist goat. It even knows which drugs to bleach its skin with to have a perfect distribution of brown and black. Technically, it qualifies to be an adviser on skin matters.”

Maybe the Nation editors were acting the goat. But on a more serious note, a caption is not a joking matter; it should be taken as seriously as the news itself.

In my article “Why is this picture in the ‘Nation’? What’s going on, when and where?” (Daily Nation, December 18, 2020), I explained why captioning photos is, indeed, a critical function in journalism and why a caption should be accurate and specific.

What happened in the Nation last Friday is illustrative. The newspaper published a picture-caption story titled “DP commissions 35 MW geothermal power plant” on page 28. The photo is credited to Boniface Mwangi. 

The picture shows a group of men in reflector jackets, some raising their hands in the air or holding their work helmets, apparently in a celebratory mood. 

The caption says: “Sosian Menengai Geothermal employees at the 35-megawatt plant commissioned yesterday by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in Nakuru County. The plant that is already producing 22 MW is expected to be complete by 2025....”

In the picture, there is no DP, nor the plant that he was supposed to have commissioned. The picture itself is irrelevant, and the caption is false. Mr Gachagua didn’t commission any powerplant in Menengai and, although he was in Menengai, did not set foot on the Sosian Menengai Geothermal compound. 

Besides, the Sosian plant is still under construction and completion is set for mid-next month and not 2025 as the caption claimed, we are reliably informed by Eric Wamanji.

Mr Wamanji is the Deputy Manager for Corporate Communications and Marketing at Kenya’s state-owned Geothermal Development Company, which selected Sosian Menengai Geothermal Power as one of three companies contracted to exploit geothermal steam in Menengai. He coordinated the event which the Nation claims to have covered.

“Why didn’t the photographer correctly chronicle the news of the day? What prompted Mwangi to pass a manufactured picture to the newsroom as if it was from an actual news action?” he asks. “Assuming the DP commissioned the powerplant, would it not be of interest to the reader to see the power plant and the actual commissioning other than a photo of employees holding helmets?”

While the editor decides which picture to use, it’s the responsibility of the photographer to provide accurate information for the caption. If he makes a mistake, the whole story is discredited. This is what happened last Friday.

There was, however, a happy ending of a kind: The latest Sunday Nation, which came out a day later, published another picture-caption story on page 24 giving the correct story.

Readers have their say

The ‘Nation’ never gets back to writers

The Nation always gives this feedback for those soliciting their articles to be published: “Because of the large number of enquiries, it might not be possible to respond immediately. However, be assured that your query or comment will be reviewed and the editor will get back to you if necessary”. But it never does, or maybe it’s just me.

Is it possible for the Nation to have a policy such as “If after one week your article has not been published, then know that it will never be published”? This is important because, after one week, I am then at liberty to send it to another newspaper or even post it on my Facebook page.

You have always discouraged potential writers from sending their articles to several newspapers. At the same time, you have told potential writers that one consideration in the editor’s mind is current trends. I am sure if an article is on the taxation bill, then the possibility of it getting published is equally high if it is well written. 

But because the newspaper may be having so many such articles, isn’t it wise to inform writers that they are at liberty to use the same articles somewhere else after seven days without a response from the editor?

Lastly, it would be ideal to inform a writer that their article will be published on a certain date.

— James Paul Chibole

Mwiti Marete, Editor, Opinion, NMG, responds: I thank the reader for the enquiry. We do respond to queries and contact contributors, including ad hoc ones. However, “if necessary” is the keyword here. 

Regarding the publication date, yes, we often alert the writer in special cases—for instance, when we have held on to an article for a long time or it’s about an anniversary, say the Day of the African Child (this year’s event is today).

I, however, advise readers who want to be notified about the publication of their article—or on their being mentioned on the internet—to set up a Google Alert. The most effective keyword would be their byline with the plus sign (+) in-between and no space. For instance, the Public Editor’s would be “Peter+Mwaura”.

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Picking 60 women was not an easy task 

Picking the 60 women was not an easy task. Our idea was to celebrate 60 of the more than 300 women whose names we had who have stood out over the past 60 years. 

Our focus, therefore, was not only on the women who featured in the earlier years after Independence but also in recent years—including millennials and Gen Zs. We also tried to look for women from all walks of life, including rural ones...It was impossible to include all.

— Dorcas Muga-Odumbe, Gender & Education Editor

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Respect Kenyans who read your paper

I totally agree with your article “Why some readers were not happy with the pick of most inspiring women” (Daily Nation, June 9, 2023). Some key names were left out, especially in academia. Irrelevant mamas were included; one wonders what they have really done. 

Of course, the numbering, too, was a big no-no. The size of pics/background/clarity was a mockery. Editors should note that we’re keen observers and readers. Nation Media Group should respect Kenyans who daily read their newspapers. 

— Miriam Mwende
 

The Public Editor is an independent news ombudsman who handles readers’ complaints on editorial matters including accuracy and journalistic standards. Email: [email protected]. Call or text 0721989264