The Media Council Act 2013 mandates the Council to promote and protect the freedom and independence of the media; Ensure the protection of the rights and privileges of journalists in the performance of their duties as well as promote and enhance ethical and professional standards amongst journalists and media enterprises
The Press Freedom, Safety and Advocacy Program has two key components: Safety and Protection of Journalists and Access to Information.
Under safety and protection, the Council works with stakeholders to Prevent violations against Press Freedom, Protect Victims and facilitate Prosecution of perpetrators(3P’s). Interventions include the establishment of safety and protection mechanisms (Protocols), safety fund, trauma counselling, training on safety, and promoting dialogue between media and security- institutions as well as promote and protect the freedom and independence of the media;
MCK runs a rapid response operation for journalists based in Kenya. (safety
mediacouncil.or.ke and 0702 222111). In addition, MCK has also setup an incident mapping system that can be used by journalists to report cases of press freedom violations. The system is available here: https://safety.mediacouncil.or.ke:800.
Find a database of the total number of press freedom violations since 2013.
Access to Information
Access to Information (ATI) is a Key Result Area within the MCK Strategic Plan (2018-2023) which encompasses sensitization and training of journalists, media practitioners, public officers and other key stakeholders with the aim of achieving the following:
- Enhancing role of media is disseminating information to the public
- Promoting public interest through access to publicly held information thus enhancing accountability and transparency in the management of public resources
- Increase trust between media and public officers