The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has underscored the importance of proactive disclosure in creating critical information about organisations.
MCK Chief Executive Officer Mr David Omwoyo says public entities should proactively disclose information to media and public to establish trust and a sustainable working relationship.
"The challenge we have is public institutions waiting for media reports and then coming out to deny or attempt to clarify media reports while they always had a chance to provide information from the beginning", said Mr Omwoyo at a training organised for editors by the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) in Mombasa.
Many public institutions, he added, are doing a lot of good life saving work and offering critical services across the country "but nobody knows about it because of poor communication and media relations".
"Continuously media should be seen as partners not enemies or threats. Media should still retain their right to critique and question decisions by public office holders but also buttress it with relevant information", he said.
The MCK boss advised KEMSA to establish contacts with journalists and media managers to ensure accurate reporting of their stories.
"While Kenyans have a perception of KEMSA as an institution with governance challenges, the story of KEMSA's critical role in Kenyas health care sector remains untold", said Mr Omwoyo.
“Journalists have a way of accessing information. It is therefore prudent that you give them the right information on time to eliminate cases of misreporting. Also, establish regular communication channels to facilitate ease in information flow”, he said.
The CEO emphasised that the culture of ‘private and confidential’ even in unwarranted cases, should be discouraged and further called for understanding of strategic communication.
He asked KEMSA to invest in training journalists on healthcare reporting for accuracy.
KEMSA CEO Dr Andrew Mulwa highlighted the importance of the engagement in enhancing the organisation’s objective.
He affirmed his support to work with the media in ensuring they are furnished with timely and factual information to complement their reporting.
“We may have very good systems but we require resources to deliver. The session is very informative and timely, and we hope for more engagements with the media to reinforce our relations and ensure effective access to information”, said Dr Mulwa.
MCK Director for Media Training and Development Victor Bwire challenged the editors to balance between the right to know and empathy when disseminating content.
He pointed out how the media has found itself on the receiving end for breaking controversial or tragic information to relatives of victims.