Public urges media to maintain professionalism and credibility in its Work.

 Kisumu City Residents Voice Chairman Audi Ogada makes his contribution during the recently held town hall meeting organized by the Kenya Editors Guild and the Media Council of Kenya to gauge the public on their feeling about the performance of the media.The Public has urged the media to maintain professionalism and credibility since it is accountable to the public-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo

 By Dickson Odhiambo.

March 3, 2019.

Public urges media to maintain professionalism and credibility in its Work.

THE MEDIA fraternity in the country has been urged to duly maintain professionalism and credibility in the line of its duties.

During a town hall meeting in Kisumu on Friday last week organized by the Kenya Editors Guild and the Media Council of Kenya so as to gauge the public on what they feel about the performance of the media, the public told the media that they are accountable to the public hence the need to maintain professionalism and credibility in their work as the media.

They say if these are maintained then the issues of accountability and transparency will be easily achieved.

Speaking during the meeting, Rebecca Ogembo, a resident of Kisumu County wanted to know why sometimes the Headlines in the Newspapers do not reflect matters printed under them, adding that headlines should be a reflection of what is printed under them.

Chris Owalla, a Civil rights Activist urges the Media Houses to ensure that their Journalists at the grass root level are well facilitated in terms of giving them reasonable pay as well as creating good working conditions.

He says a number of those employed as correspondents at the grass root level suffers a lot in terms of poor remuneration as well as poor working conditions thereby making them not to work effectively.

Owalla says the situation forces some of the scribes at the ground level to engage in some unethical activities that do not conform to what the Code of Ethics for the Practice of Journalism in Kenya entails.

“We have seen some journalists becoming tender preneurs at the Counties where they engage in businesses as suppliers and this end up compromising their work as journalists,” Owalla says.

Owalla at the same time advised the Media Houses to ensure that their employees at the grass root level are properly trained on issues of reporting on Devolution especially the budget making process at the Counties and devolution in general.

He adds that this will make them to report effectively from an informed perspective and without being biased.

Kolwa Central Member of the County Assembly in Kisumu County urged the Journalists to protect their sources of information at all times, adding that confidentiality is a core mandate of a journalist.

Kondele Ward Representative Joachim Oketch says the area has been receiving negative publicity despite it having some positive stories like being a 24-hour economy in the Lake side City among others.

Betty Okero of the Civil Societies Organizations {CSOs} Network says the stories in the media should help in addressing social injustices in the society.

Audi Ogada, Chairman of the Kisumu City Residents Voice asks how the promotion of media freedom, credibility and professionalism is being tracked.

Ogada adds that a number of stories written by most Journalists at the counties normally dies at the desk of their Editors in Nairobi, adding that this should be re-looked at.

He says Journalists at the grass root level contributes to huge percentage of the stories published in the local daily newspapers yet there are no good remuneration for them as well as good working conditions.

The President of the Kenya Editors Guild {KEG} Dr. Churchill Otieno says the Guild helps in enhancing excellence in Journalism across the country.

He says the Guild works towards promoting a credible media, adding that for this to happen the media must be accountable to the public.

“The reason for these town hall meetings is to gauge the public on what they feel our performances as the media is and we have conducted it in other regions also,” says Dr. Otieno, adding that the media should be very responsible to the needs of the public.

Media Council of Kenya Deputy Chief Executive Officer and the in charge of Programs Victor Bwire says the media is duly accountable to the public.

“When the media decide to focus on something, there must be a difference,” Bwire says.

ENDS: