The Media We Want: The Kenya Media Vulnerabilities Study

This 64-page report, published by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) in Kenya, presents the findings of a study conducted by the African Woman and Child Feature Service (AWC) and Media Diversity Centre (MDC) that aimed to investigate the underlying factors that influence media behaviour and to make recommendations on how the sector could be reformed in a manner that would approximate Kenyan's expectations. The study shows that the Kenyan media have been operating in an unpredictable and swiftly changing political, social, cultural, economic, and technological environment that has heavily influenced its development. In addition, a hostile and inadequate political, legal, policy, and regulatory environment continues to negatively impact on the media in Kenya.

Researchers used focus group discussions, key respondent interviews, and desk research to collect data. The study also benefited from deliberations and validation by media stakeholders during the Media We Want conference organised by FES in May 2009.

The report states that government's attitude towards media and communication - as a necessary evil - is grudgingly changing but that media lack the will, intellectual leadership, and capacity to address the diversity of legal, policy, and regulatory challenges still facing them. As well, because of the absence of common journalism education standards, quality training of journalists is lacking. Added to this, although the code of conduct for journalists is available, conformity and adherence is problematic across the board. Media organisations place a low premium on investigative journalism, and training institutions do not teach it well.

According to the report, Kenya's audiences can access diverse media choices but they are heavily fragmented. Media consumers use radio the most, followed by television and newspapers. They still prefer ethnic language media to English and Kiswahili radio stations. Audiences change quickly, forcing the media to adapt to their needs and interests promptly. Although media literacy is low, trust in the media to report accurately on political issues is high.

Despite the challenges, there are some positive elements to the media in Kenya. For example, the information and technology revolution has positively affected the media in Kenya. It has increased the diversity of information sources, brought greater efficiency in media operations, and encouraged the growth of citizen journalism.

The report also looks at what Kenyan's want from the media, and outlines steps to reach these desires. According to report, Kenyans want a free, independent, assertive, vibrant and responsible media that would effectively advance democracy, human rights, good governance, and socio-economic transformation. They want a professionally run media that supports a diversity of opinions. They want a media that promotes Kenyan identity and national cohesion, as well as accountable ethnic language radios that are not politically captured and do not promote hate speech or ethnic disharmony.

As stated in the report, there is no single strategy that can deliver the media Kenyans want. The report offers some steps that must be taken together to deliver the ideal media, including the following:

• strengthen professionalism in the practice of journalism through training programmes, associations, and organisations;
• strengthen lobbying and advocacy for the repeal of all anti-media laws alongside the enactment of a media-friendly constitution and laws;
• intensify efforts to lobby for the enactment of a Freedom of Information Act to guarantee greater access to information held by the government and other public bodies and review sections of the Kenya Information and Communication Act 2008 and the Media Act, 2007 that inhibit or constrain effective operations of the media industry;
• build capacity of the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) to enable it to effectively and efficiently act as a regulator for journalism practice in Kenya, as well as strengthen MCK to develop industry guidelines on working conditions for journalists and monitor adherence to them;
• build capacity for small media organisations, especially ethnic language and community radio stations, to effectively handle interactive live broadcasts as a way of nurturing a culture for peace journalism;
• strengthen peace media in Kenya, there is a need to integrate conflict management and peace journalism in journalism training programmes at university level as well as in in-house training;
• promote media literacy as well as other efforts that scrutinise media behaviour;
• establish media watch and accountability programmes and indices - a periodic evaluation of media performance should be encouraged;
• support the use of media as platforms for promoting development in Kenya;
• promote citizen media and journalism; and
• encourage media to embrace corporate social responsibility as a way of giving back to their audiences.