State Assures Of Media Independence
The government has reiterated its commitment to nurturing an environment that secures a free and independent self-regulating Media which will allow them to flourish and lead to a win-win situation for both entities.
Ministry of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary (CS) Eliud Owalo said that the state and the media play a complimentary role and the success of the media is the success of the government since the government has an agenda which needs to be communicated to the people through the media.
Speaking on Thursday when he inaugurated the Selection Panel for the Board of the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), Owalo explained that the MCK is an entity of the media houses themselves and it should be as impartial as possible to ensure that the media is self-regulatory without interference from any quota including the government.
“The formation of the MCK in 2013 was a factor of felt needs in the management and regulation of the public communications space in the country,” said the CS.
He explained that the Media Council Act of 2013 established the MCK as an independent national institution, mandated to set self-regulatory compliance standards for the Media, and arbitration mechanisms for other entities and the public, relative to their use of the Media, and interaction with the Media in Kenya.
Owalo urged the panel to give the Media fraternity and the country a board that will comprise competent men and women of exemplary integrity.
“These men and women are expected to live up to the expectations of the Media fraternity and other stakeholders, alike. Such men and women should hold the council together in dignified fashion. They should be role models for those in the industry and able to attract respect from those outside the industry,” the CS said.
Owalo advised the various professional entities in the media to resolve their differences amicably for better delivery of their service to the public.
“In recent times, the industry has often given the impression that it is in the grip of an internal crisis. We have been saddened to observe what can only be described as infighting and negative sibling competitions and rivalries, including that between MCK and the Editors Guild,” said the CS.
He asked those who will be privileged to get on to the next board of the MCK to address the drivers of divisive energy in the fraternity.
“I would like to urge the selection panel to be as impartial as possible because the exercise is meant to give an output that serves the interest of the media,” said Owalo.
State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Principal Secretary (PS) Prof Edward Kisiang’ani said that whatever procedures that the selection panels agree on must respect the country’s constitution and the appropriate laws.
“When we follow the constitution, we minimize the number of lawsuits and everyone will be comfortable,” said Kisiangani.
The PS reiterated the government’s promise not to interfere with the media saying that they want to see the media flourish.
“The government has no intentions of gaging the media, we would like you to succeed because when you succeed, we also succeed because we have an agenda which should be transmitted through media,” said the PS.
Chairman of the Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) William Oloo Janak commended the CS for capturing the spirit of the law and the principle upon which the MCK was founded saying that unless the ministry understands that, then it can be pulled into the controversies surrounding the industry.
Macharia Gaitho who is representing the Kenya Editors Guild in the selection panel explained that the differences between them and MCK are differences of opinions but ultimately they are on the same page and working for the same course.
Members of the selection panel include Director of Information Ms. Josephine Kinuthia who is representing the Kenya News Agency (KNA), Kenya Union of Journalists (Mr. Oscar Obonyo), Media Owners Association (Mr. Emmanuel Juma), Kenya Editors Guild (Mr. Macharia Gaitho), Law Society of Kenya (Ms. Marlene Achieng Abongo), Kenya Correspondents Association (Mr. William Onyango Oloo), Public Relations Society of Kenya (Ms. Sylvia Mwichuli), National Gender and Equality Commission (Mr. Daniel Waitere) Association of Professional Societies in East Africa (Mr. Julius Melli), Consumers Federation of Kenya (Mr. Benjamin Langwen) Ministry of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy (Ms. Juliana Yiapan), School of journalism public universities (Dr. Jane Wambui Thuo) and School of journalism private universities (Dr. Kinya Mwithia).
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