Media must guard against promoting propaganda

By Kibisu Kabatesi

Should media agenda-setting be national consciousness or promoting ethnic intolerance?  In the wake of the draconian Media Bill passed by the National Assembly, debate is raging as to whether media abet a climate of intolerance by politicians.

A columnist recently went so far as to argue that “the Kenyan media needs to be regulated because a lot of what passes off as journalism today is a mixture of propaganda … Issues such as biased reporting, bribe taking, plagiarism and sloppy fact-checking should be taken more seriously.”

From Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, columnist Macharia Gaitho reported that Deputy President William Ruto introduced the tag “media assassins” in a conference on African Media Leadership aimed at justifying media repression. I associate the media assassins tag with some washed out journalists who have sought refuge in cheap ethnic nationalism of setting their ethnic leaders against each other or perceived rivals from the other tribe. Unable to pen informed opinion pieces, this cadre of embedded assassins parody ethnic prejudices while parading innuendo for fact. Typically, the content is hidden in embellished bits of rail-roaded quotations from pre-selected surrogate sources.

There was a time in our democratisation process when vigilante journalism championed high ideals of saving the country from the vulgarities of corruption and political repression. Not anymore. Media assassins are on the prowl.

The piece by Juma Kwayera (The Standard on Saturday, November 9, 2013) epitomises the accusation of professional surrender, propaganda and descent into the assassin region in the media. Let me demonstrate:

Kwayera set out to write that “Kenyatta’s cautious visit to Western highlights uneasy relations with region”. But the essay was a pillory of Amani Coalition leaders’ association with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The innocent attendance of a church service by two leaders to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Mumias Diocese is turned into political taboo. Why, you ask, is a meeting between Raila Odinga and Uhuru statesman-like and that between Musalia Mudavadi and Uhuru Kenyatta abhorrent to the likes of Juma other than for reasons of ethnic jingoism? Or is it that you hate Kenyatta as president therefore your kin shouldn’t associate with him, even though he be president?

This dubious piece twists the writer’s personal preferences into source material. The underlying narrative is Kwayera assumes that Mudavadi should not associate with Kenyatta because the latter is Kikuyu. I on the other hand, know Raila and Mudavadi have no option but to relate with Kenyatta because he is the president. For that reason, Raila has a right to ask for the job favour as mediator in EAC misunderstanding from Kenyatta as much Mudavadi has responsibility to welcome President Kenyatta in western.

But facts are not so sacred to Juma as much as his camouflaged political opinion. “Elected leaders from the populous area gave the visit a wide berth,” says Kwayera. Evidently there are no “elected leaders” in the region other than the ODM MPs.

The anniversary was a “low-key event”, Mr Kwayera says.

But you note the sneer; the Church anniversary attended by Archbishop Eliud Wabukala and the President of the Republic only became low-key because the writer’s “leaders” were absent.

Then he owns up and rides on CORD propaganda gloating about “political puppets and imposed leadership” as if CORD leadership is homegrown in his native region.

He is averse to the fact that the contest in Bungoma is between New Ford Kenya and Ford Kenya, two home-grown parties.

To Kwayera, the area’s “electoral block is still beholden to ODM party” yet he deliberately wouldn’t carry a comment by any ODM leader. He knows most from Bungoma, Kakamega and Vihiga counties have denounced allegiance to ODM leadership. Ultimately, the amateur muck that was Kwayera’s piece is a classic media assassin’s propaganda. The piece is testimony that the tumour of propaganda has liberally found home in media and Kenyan journalism risks being hostage to “media assassin” pieces that masquerade as analysis or review.