Although the local media has generally done a good job keeping the public informed during the protests that have become the new norm in the country, there is still much improvement needed.
One area where the media scored below average is live reporting. At times, in the heat of the moment, reporters seemed to lose objectivity and become cheerleaders. I witnessed one such incident live on TV. Several police officers had alighted from their Land Rover and charged towards protestors with raised batons. The reporter in question exclaimed, "Here we go, here we go! Oh, and he missed him." These words, better suited for a football match commentary, were used to describe a police officer pouncing on a young protester with a flying kick, narrowly missing him. The reporter then let out a laugh before turning to the other side of the street.
Another area needing improvement is captioning. On YouTube, I noticed a video caption from a media house starting with "Catch me if you can..." The thumbnail showed a protestor evading police officers. Media should treat such serious matters with the gravity they deserve, not as a cat-and-mouse game between citizens and police. The role of police in protests is to provide security, not to fight protestors. The media should not cheer on deviations from this role but treat them as anomalies.
The media's treatment of grieving relatives of victims also requires sensitivity. I saw a TV reporter outside the Nairobi Funeral Home (formerly City Mortuary) ask a victim's father how he felt, as the parents awaited their son's postmortem. The Media Council of Kenya Code of Conduct for the practice of journalism dictates that "In cases involving grief or shock, inquiries shall be made with sensitivity and discretion." It would be kinder to interview a family spokesperson, allowing immediate family members to grieve in peace. Questions like "How do you feel now that your son has been killed?" should be avoided when grief is fresh. These questions are more appropriate for follow-up features much later.
Lastly, dead bodies and bloody scenes have found their way onto our television screens, especially during live reporting. The consequences of such images are not mild, particularly for children. Media should protect children's innocence by avoiding display of graphic scenes.
However, these are just a few mistakes, mostly made under the pressure of reporting high-octane incidents. Generally the media did a commendable job by extensively covering the protests. They were also able to identify killer cops and rogue officers, grilled the president to the public's satisfaction, and hosted panelists to chart the way forward for thecountry. For the few and far-between mistakes, let us correct ourselves and continue serving the public in the best way possible.