By GEOFFREY MOSOKU FFREY MOSOKU
Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero has urged media owners to pay journalists well to create a vibrant Press and enhance ethics.
He said journalists play a crucial role in not only informing the public but also promoting good governance. He said if the scribes are not well remunerated, they will always “face temptation out there”, and greatly hamper their ethical conduct.
Dr Kidero, a former managing director at the Nation Media Group, said although President Uhuru Kenyatta had announced a salary increment of 14 per cent for the lowest paid workers, journalists are always forgotten.
“Now that I am on the other side, I have to state here that a journalist may be tempted to do unethical things out there if he/she is not well remunerated,” he said.
The Governor spoke yesterday at the KICC when he was called to invite President Uhuru to address a regional journalists’ convention organised by the Media Council of Kenya.
Kidero also urged media houses to devote more space in newspapers to educate the public as an agent of change.
“I know we have a rule of 30 per cent space for advertisements but I know we can increase pagination to education material,” he said.
“The media is a powerful tool and when well used, will encourage possible change. Why, for instance, do we see men and women jostle to enter a matatu? Why don’t we see an attitude change?” he asked.
The Governor urged the media to focus on positive stories about Kenya and take the example of American journalists who shy away from depicting their country negatively.
