The media has been urged to discard the ‘fixation with political trivia and sensationalism’ that adds little value to the lives of the people and focus on development issues.
Media Council of Kenya (MCK), Director of Media Training and Development, Victor Bwire, underscored the need to focus on the positive side of society and development.
He noted the media as a ‘catalyst and a change agent’ should not always focus on the negative aspects of society at the expense of the positive side.
The Director challenged journalists to uphold honesty and embrace integrity in order to help steer a better society and enhance good leadership in the Country.
Bwire says journalists need to champion communication for development to bring about socio-economic improvements on the lives of Kenyans.
He said the media has a public duty and a huge role to play in highlighting the positive side of the society and motivating those who do well on the political, social and economic spheres.
Bwire was speaking in Diani, Kwale County, during a safety and security training workshop for local journalists.
The Journalists were taken through the code of conduct and the place of constructive journalism, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reporting on Gender Based Violence and access to information.
He said as a veteran journalist he is sometimes bewildered by the local media’s appetites for sensational reporting at the expense of quality news and information that can make a difference in the lives of the people.
“It’s high time the media practitioners turned their focus away from politicians spewing profanity and set the agenda in spreading democratic values, human rights and socio-economic development,” he said.
He went on “the news and analysis provided by the media should be accurate and unbiased and geared towards improving the lives of the citizens”.
By Hussein Abdullahi
