The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has underscored the critical place of creatives in the news production cycle.
MCK Director for Media Training and Development Mr Victor Bwire says creatives – photographers, camera persons, cartoonists and producers – are an integral part of the newsroom and election reporting and should be mainstreamed in trainings.
Mr Bwire who spoke on Friday in Kiambu during a training on responsible election reporting for creatives drawn from Nairobi, Kiambu and Machakos commended the role of creatives in enhancing authenticity and aesthetics in news reporting.
He at the same time urged all media workers to prioritise their safety and security when reporting on elections.
“This safety goes beyond the physical to include mental wellness. Mental wellness is increasingly becoming a grave issue, going by suicide cases by journalists that we often see reported”, Mr Bwire said.
The Kiambu training covered safety and security of journalists, conflict-sensitive reporting, fake news and probable emergencies and response options during elections. The topics are critical to ensuring objective and conflict-sensitive reporting before, during and after the August 9 General Election.
Other trainers at the session are veteran editor David Okwembah, Nation editor Harry Misiko, and MCK’s Christine Nguku and Julius Sigei.
“The Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism in Kenya applies to legacy media as well as social media and journalists should beware of what they post,” Mr Misiko said.
Mr Okwembah urged journalists to use the Code of Conduct “as their compass to ensure fairness and objectivity to all.
“It is election time once again and journalists must navigate the political landmines as they provide coverage to various political parties and candidates.
The 50 creatives are part of 1,500 journalists targeted for training on elections reporting across the country.