Samburu herdsman Lolmoodon Lenges doesn’t have to abandon his livestock in the plains of Lodokejek to rush back home to watch the news on TV. On his smartphone he has all the latest news video clips posted by NTV or Al Jazeera on their Facebook or X accounts.
Nor does Wanjala need to take a break from his ‘smocha’ and ‘mayai pasua’ hustle outside the Kenya National Archives, Nairobi. He can catch up with the news on his phone as he waits for the next customer.
Wambo sells shoes and gets most of her customers online. She markets her latest wares through short videos and photos on X, TikTok and Instagram. She is also an avid blogger, posting biting opinions on politics.
Social media is the true mass media of today. It has taken the world by storm in terms of reach, access and ease of use. Many important stories have been broken by bloggers and whistleblowers on social media. Critical debates and campaigns on matters of public interest are carried on the popular platforms.
A lot of people may not have access or the time to watch CNN. But the journalism of its Africa correspondent Larry Madowo is known to thousands of Kenyans through his social media accounts and influences daily conversations.
Research by Reuters Institute shows 89 per cent of news consumption in Kenya happens online (77 per cent of that on social media specifically).
A survey by Odipo Dev reveals that: “The average Kenyan today (young, leaning female) is not a traditional seeker of news. This means that they don’t buy the paper in the morning, they don’t religiously follow the 7pm or 9pm prime time broadcast, or visit an established news website to get their news every day. The average news consumer is ‘found’ by the news. They most likely happen to bump into the day’s news as they are scrolling social media for entertainment, chatting with friends or shopping.”
But social media has come with its own perils of misinformation, disinformation, political propaganda, false narratives, incitement, indecent content, cyberbullying and torrents of insults.
Prof Levi Obonyo, dean of the School of Communication at Daystar University, captures the anarchy: “Today, it is a nightmare for cultural conservatives to turn on their media, be it the traditional one or the new variety, in public for fear of what may show up on their screen without warning. All you may be after is breaking news. Instead, what you will get is a revealing scene of sexual encounter, violence and fake information.
Some governments are alarmed that they are losing the information war to influencers. It is no longer possible for the people in power to control information or to get away with carefully packaged narratives that clash with the lived experiences of their citizens.
Since his appointment, ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo has used nearly every opportunity to express his concerns about misuse of social media. While he sounds clear that the government has no intention of shutting down the popular platforms, Kabogo has also threatened to take such action.
“We are not planning to switch off anything. It is not in our mind…of course the capacity is there, in case we have situations of national security importance. For example, you know what happened in Rwanda, when the radios were used for genocide purposes. If that happens, then we will switch them off,” he said.
Well, we pray we don’t get to that point. Right now, CS Kabogo has a great opportunity to initiate campaigns on responsible use of social media. “Why can’t we be self-regulated, so that we have a discussion in Kenya and say, let’s create a good environment within these platforms,” the CS said.
That is exactly the point. Indeed, media information and digital literacy is the way to go. Technology is a fundamental shaper of society. You cannot turn back the clock. Social media is here to stay. Governments all over the world must accept change, not fight it or live in denial. Citizens are now more aware, more questioning, more demanding. Clearly, the benefits of social media far outweigh the dangers posed by netizens who misuse it.
Does citizen pressure succeed in influencing government policy? Yes. Does democracy grow by active citizens finding platforms and more innovative ways to monitor their governments, ask questions, suggest alternatives, mobilise and educate the public, and hold their leaders to account? Yes. Is it right to threaten to shut down such platforms? No. Can we all work together to promote responsible use while safeguarding fundamental rights and freedoms? Yes.
See you next week!
