Ahead of the 2024 World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally slated for 28th to 31st March, the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) and the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) have joined forces to sensitise sports journalists who will cover the esteemed event in the motorsport calendar.
Among areas covered during the session included media ethics when covering the WRC Safari Rally, access to information for sports journalists, safety aspects of the WRC Safari Rally and as well as how to take the perfect shot.
MCK Director for Media Training and Development Victor Bwire urged journalists covering the premier motorsport to uphold journalistic ethics and bringing out the critical aspects of the sport.
“Safari Rally remains a signature event that projects Kenya to the world and a key foreign exchange earner for the country. It is important that it is given the professional coverage that it deserves. The sideshows are there are good for information as it spices up the event. However, our journalists must balance professionalism and entertainment while showcasing this event”, Mr Bwire told journalists at the engagement in Naivasha today.
He urged the journalists to utilise the sporting event to explore other stories from the locality, saying that will give a broader experience from the event.
“Let us appropriately frame stories on this important sporting event other than the negative news often associated with the extravaganza”, said Mr Bwire.
He affirmed the Council’s commitment to sports journalism saying it is an area that deserves equal treatment like the rest by news organisations.
“There are very talented sports journalists in newsrooms but professionalism lacks as most don’t have formal training in sports matters. It is for this reason that MCK continues to partner with SJAK, the umbrella body that brings together sports journalists in Kenya, to ensure professionalism in coverage of sports and to promote their welfare”, he said.
Safari Rally National Press Officer Elias Makori encouraged the journalists to operate within journalistic ethics and assured them of support from the body, including on accreditation and access to news sources.
Mr Makori, who is also Nation Media Group’s Lead Editor (Sports and Integration Projects), commended the Media Council for organising the session and encouraged the local journalists to learn from the best during the event, urging them to utilise networks for personal development.
The World Rally Championships (WRC) Communications Manager and WRC Media Delegate at the International Automobile Federation Véra Dussausaye urged journalists covering this year’s event to uphold professionalism and keep their communication lines open for any consultations during the sporting event.
Ms Dussausaye who responded to the journalists’ various questions and tipped them on critical aspects, including accreditation, access to drivers and spectators as well as the key viewing points of the circuit.
Journalists at the meeting raised key challenges bedeviling sports coverage including lack of resources and dedicated staff, invasion by quacks and dilemma that comes when embedded with sports organisations during international outings.