The Fourth Estate (media) is considered a powerful tool the world over for the several roles it plays in society. These roles include passing of information, sensitising, setting of agendas, educating and entertaining, just to mention but a few.
Media can also play a vital role in building or demolition of a nation - just like it happened some years back in Rwanda when a radio presenter referred to a certain community as cockroaches - only for Rwanda to go up in flames in what is commonly referred to as the Rwandan genocide.
Back home, the year 2016 is already here with us, which means we are moving closer to the electioneering period slated for mid-2017.
Political temperatures are getting higher by each passing day, which is the reason why political operatives are preparing themselves to battle it out in the forth coming general elections.
Political parties, normally referred to as political vehicles are being formed; the latest being the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP), Mashinani Party and Maendeleo Chap Chap movement
Media has a very important role to play in ensuring the electorate is educated enough to know what and how they stand to benefit from which political party if the party ascends to power.
We have witnessed politicians change names of the party in the past in the name of uniting the common mwananchi, something that has never worked. Time has come for media to interrogate and enlighten the electorate on the policies of each and every political party formed in the country so that Kenyans can make informed choices when they finally go to the ballot box.
Let us see a difference on how the media will handle the campaigns and finally the electioneering process. Hopefully, something that will be different from the normal sensational and spread of propaganda by politicians seeking elective posts like it has happened before.
We need to build our country for our future generations and this can only happen with a media that goes beyond what is considered normal reporting.
The Standard Group Plc is a
multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper
print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
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