The media has been challenged to provide fair and balanced reporting on government projects.
Deputy President (DP) Prof Kithure Kindiki said that in exercising media freedom, journalists must be accountable and uphold professionalism in covering government stories.
“The government isn't perfect, and we are not asking for favorable coverage; we encourage pluralism of ideas. The media however needs to embrace a multifaceted approach in reporting so that we don't hurt public interest. We must avoid publishing unverified stories,” he said during the Kenya Editors Guild’s 7th Annual Conference held in Nakuru County.
The DP noted that some government projects, such as Social Health Authority (SHA), the National Housing project, the new university funding model, and E-citizen, have come under heavy media scrutiny yet they have a positive side that should be highlighted.
At the same time, Prof Kithure assured the government’s commitment to protecting media freedom and called on the industry to give issues of corruption and climate change prominent coverage, terming them a threat to national security.
“The government appreciates the media’s watchdog role in coverage of public affairs and exposing malpractices because this goes a long way in protecting national values,” he noted.
He advised the media industry on building strong collaborations to ensure sustainability adding that the government is working on settling all outstanding debts owed to media houses.
He acknowledged the frosty relations between government and media saying that there is room to bridge the differences and work for the greater good without compromising their divergent roles.
Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy Dr Margaret Ndung’u called for collaboration in the review of the legislative framework to make room a thriving media.
“Technology has altered the media industry but even as we adapt to changes such as Artificial Intelligence, we must do so responsibly,” she said.
Media Council of Kenya (MCK) CEO David Omwoyo called for regular interactions between media and government to improve their working relations.
“Government security agencies and the media work towards a similar goal, but often have an antagonist relationship. We need to find a way to disagree in principle but work together, “he emphasised.
Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) President, Zubeidah Koome also called on the government to create an enabling environment to ensure the safety and protection of journalists.
“We urge the government to support the media by establishing a media fund and a national media centre to encourage innovation in the sector,” she said.
She further rallied the media to adhere to ethical and professional standards during a panel on leveraging technologies for media partnerships.