The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has called for joint approaches in addressing the downside of gambling and betting in media outlets.
MCK Mombasa Regional Coordinator Maureen Mudi has urged broadcasters to align their content in advertising with ethical practice to enhance the accuracy of information consumed by the public.
She noted that the Council has conducted several trainings on content production for media houses in the region, where the regulations of the Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism in Kenya and the Programming Code are explained to journalists and managers.
“The MCK Betting Taskforce recommended that joint monitoring approaches be adopted by various regulations including the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), MCK and the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) to ensure compliance with established standards”, she said at an engagement with the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) officials and Coast broadcasters.
She added that one of the provisions in the betting report includes the Kenya Films and Classification Board (KFCB) undertaking clear classification and rating of gaming advertisements and prize competitions run by media houses.
She called for more collaborations by different players to ensure compliance with different regulations are adhered to.
CA Assistant Manager for Broadcast Content-Monitoring and Innovation Ms Rosemary Mwangi, encouraged station managers to be sensitive to the content aired on their stations and exercise duty of care.
“Let’s all adhere to the Programming Code for Broadcasting Services in Kenya. Rules and guidelines are not for punishing you but to protect the audiences”, she said.