Where is it written that alternative media should completely disregard journalism ethics? Why is it acceptable that tabloids can print anything under the sun without even the mere pretence at corroboration, and sell it on the streets?
The Weekly Citizen took the cake with this story published October 24: “How EACC, DCI went to bed with Homa Bay county cartel.”
The “exposé” by Omar Akello even posted pictures of parties named in it, from the current Homa-bay Governor Gladys Wanga to her predecessor, Cyprian Awiti, and notable officials who have hit the headlines for 10 years over questionable multibillion-shilling deals.
One look at the perfectly formatted story on the newspaper reel and you had no doubt that this was mainstream – until you started reading.
“Top former Homa Bay county government officials used five companies to fleece public funds during Governor Cyprian Awiti’s 10-year ruthless administration,” the story begun.
Well, except for the “ruthless” quip and lack of attribution, that’s a well-written intro that demands your attention.
You will read on. “Weekly Citizen established how the then county top leadership diverted the course of investigations by Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission and Directorate of Criminal investigations to focus on the county assembly to circumvent justice.”
Oh yea? How did Weekly Citizen establish this?
Oh, never mind that. What you should know is that “the senior officers, including the governor himself, used the firms to milk the county dry with no tangible development projects during the last 10 years of devolution.”
Look, this is ballsy stuff. Why should the reader believe you?
Because we even know the five companies that were used to syphon money out of the county government’s coffers, the story insinuated, proceeding to name them.
How did they do it? The firms were owned through proxies by top county officials in the Awiti administration, the story said, naming the former county secretary, finance and planning “minister,” internal auditor, chief officer for finance, and the county majority leader.
These officers would collude to make fictitious payments into bank accounts of the said firms. The payments were then quickly cashed. And when anti-corruption officials from Nairobi came sniffing, clerks and all manner of small fish across various county government took the fall.
All of this printed without single evidence. Or attribution. Or a quote.
But, “Homa-Bay residents now want President Ruto to personally intervene to have the real graft suspects prosecuted…” blah, blah, blah.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how investigative journalism is done in the yellow press. It’s a monologue. Sigh.
