Media play a critical role in informing the public on current affairs as they happen on a daily basis. They enjoy trust of the public. They are believed to be credible sources of information that is fair and unbiased. When information shared is accurate, it defines informed choices or opinions on matters of public interest. On the one hand, media reports can enlighten, restore peace, reduce tension, promote cohesion and developments.
On the other, media can be a source of destruction through what is shared. Journalists should therefore be careful especially when reporting on sensitive matters such as communal conflicts or crime. The content shared should not be exaggerated but report facts. However, despite the many positive roles of the media in highlighting crime, there is still a lot that needs to be done for better reporting.
Who gets the facts right?
Besides providing information on incidents of crime in society, the media serves as a watchdog which seeks to challenge government laxity in interventions. But the media in some instances doesn’t get the facts correctly.
For several months now, a gang of killers has been terrorising Matungu constituency, Kakamega County, leading to several deaths. Local media filed reports as usual. And as always, there where discrepancies in numbers.
Standard and Daily Nation newspapers reported killings in Matungu but there were differences on who was responsible.
On May 6, thye Nation in its online edition reported that the group terrorizing innocent Kenyans at Matungu was called 42 Brothers. “While residents maintained that the thugs perpetrating the killings are members of a criminal gang known as 42 Brothers, security officials have refuted the claims, saying that the recent series of murder witnessed in the area are not related and are not coordinated by a gang.”
On the same date, Standard reported in a photo caption that the gang was called 14 Brothers. “Matungu MP Justus Murunga (with brown jacket) at Kakamega County Teaching and Referral hospital yesterday when he visited Mr Stephene Rabuoch, a survivor, who was attacked on Sunday early morning in Matungu Sub County by a suspected gang calling itself 14 Brothers. His pregnant wife and her three-year old daughter were killed by the assailants last night”.
On the number of people who died, Standard reported 10 people to have been killed while the Nation recoded 12. Star did not report on that date but on May 7 it reported 10 people had died.
Conclusion
While it is not always easy for journalists to use similar sources, it could be interesting to understand how information varies especially for journalists who report in one region about the same incident. One of the important questions would be who were the sources of the information and was the information confirmed by police or any other relevant authorities?
