It’s a reader who called out the Standard last Saturday, not us. They accused the Standard online of writing an imaginative headline. “Imaginative” is our word.
What happened?
A recorded phone call with voices similar to those of Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju and former Limuru MP George Nyanja leaked and started doing the rounds on social media. In the audio, the two politicians are heard conspiring against Deputy President William Ruto’s well-known movement to become president in 2022.
It lit a fire in the Ruto camp. Tuju must go, MPs allied to Ruto said. But right off the gate, the Standard bungled its reporting with a misleading headline.
“Pressure mounts on Raphael Tuju to quit Jubilee Party,” read the Standard’s headline, posted just before noon on June 22. The story did not measure up with both the headline and intro, which repeated the “preasure is mounting” line.
Instead, the story by Osinde Obare listed only three Jubilee MPs, Alice Wahome (Kandara), Catherine Waruguru (Laikipia Woman Rep) and Susan Kihika (Nakuru Senator) demanding that Tuju quits.
And a reader going by the handle Mbugua Albert promptly posted in protest:
“When it comes to headlines you people can come up with a fancy one,” wrote the reader in a frustrated tone. “Do you mean a talk from some four women […] amounts to pressure?”
Regrettably, the reader’s choice of words (“some four women”) was sexist. However, he had a point. Three or four people protesting against something in barely half a day does not meet the threshold of “pressure mounting.” Not yet.
Citizen TV fell headlong into the same slope. In its evening news bulletin the same Saturday the news anchor read: “A section of Jubilee MPs are piling pressure on Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju to resign or be sacked for fomenting division in the ruling party.”
Contrast these with how other media, mainstream and alternative, headlined the matter on Saturday afternoon:
Star: “Ruto allies threaten to eject Tuju over leaked audio”
Citizen Digital: “MPs allied to DP Ruto want Tuju out over leaked audio”
KTN Leo: “Wanaomuunga Ruto wataka Tuju ajiuzulu [Ruto backers want Tuju to resign]”
Pulse: “Jubilee MPs gang up against Tuju”
Hivisasa: “Tuju accused of undermining Jubilee party”
The difference here is diction.
Yes, by Sunday evening a cacophony of voices was singing the chorus, Tuju must go. By this time “pressure mounting” may have been justified. However, Saturday was the start of this news cycle. “Pressure” cannot “mount” at the very start of anything. To say so is misleading.
