Journalism Dry Cleaner

NEWSROOM TALENT MANAGEMENT: FROM THE UNKNOWN TO THE RENOWNED

2020-09-26T10:30:00.000+03:00

The media talent production line has been rolling for a very long time. And this will continue, way past the digital disruptions era. It can either churn out conformists or reformists, trail blazers or tail-enders, timid or a tenacious crop of journalists. But, a good media manager should know how to elevate all newsroom talent, regardless of whether they are unknown or renowned.

You see, the success of any broadcasting outlet involves a lot of teamwork: from the on air talent, to the editorial personnel, and from the other unseen frontline workers, to the back end support staff.

The career paths in the newsroom might be different, but there should be a similar, if not the same attention accorded to growth aspirations, across all levels.

Also importantly, there should be regular job satisfaction appraisals, in tandem with reviews of performance indicators.

Remuneration disparities do present a major challenge, but the damage can be greatly undone, if there are equal opportunity principles at play, and fair practices at work.

Drivers of divided loyalties are a great disservice in any newsroom, since there should be a common destination for all...and fidelity should be to the job demands...not certain job-holders.

And, not every effort to advance professionally, equals to a threat to perceived privileged positions, titles or entitlements.

To media managers, be the hand that cheerfully uplifts personal ambitions, and divine providence will be your professional portion.

As for you media talent...go...go...go! Setbacks are temporary, but forever trying is your trusted backup.

(To everyone in this business, watch your back! Backstabbing is real).

COVID, CONTENT AND MEDIA CONSUMPTION

2020-08-25T15:19:00.004+03:00

When confronted by a new or unfamiliar situation, the most reasonable thing to do is to adapt and be in sync with the dictates of the emerging circumstances. Another way out is to evolve and transcend the prevailing challenges of operating in a new environment. Some say Covid-19 has irreversibly changed content generation and media consumption.

Evidently, the distinction between mainstream and social media is now being continuously eroded, especially when it comes to content consumption.

For example, the chances of an impactful video clip emanating from traditional media, can very well be matched with the possibility of the same content being channelled through social media first.

Indeed, the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic have made it mandatory to discard tried and tested methods. And chart new paths for production, presentation of content and audience engagement.

It is either that for a media enterprise, or you lose relevance, profitability or even your core functions in society.

Whereas appointment viewing has for long been forcing the audience to schedule their lifestyle around the airing of their favourite TV programs, the tables now appear to have been turned, to the point of no return.

Many Kenyan broadcast stations are now seeing the need and sense of making their content available on demand... and on the go!

For the great minds working hard to push out their individual content, there's no need to reinvent the wheel. But there's every reason for reinventing yourself.

PANDEMIC, PROCESSING NUMBERS AND DATA JOURNALISM

2020-07-27T21:24:00.000+03:00

It's been more than a decade since data was formally invited to the high table of journalism, and thereafter, taking permanent residency in the form Data Journalism. Arguably, never before has the press given statistics such serious attention. The coronavirus pandemic has necessitated the need for journalists to master processing information couched in numbers. Correct interpretation remains a challenge though.

As depicted above, the same details can sometimes lead to different news stories among publishers, simply because editors can end up not putting the same emphasis on the pertinent angles in an issue.

Admittedly, this can be very confusing to the reader, on being confronted with what might appear as contradictory statement of facts.

On this particular day, this is what two of Kenya's leading dailies put out:

- Coronavirus drives down car sales 26%

- Motor vehicle sales bounce back.

Should the reader believe car sales are decreasing or increasing?

The answer may lay in the context, if one digs further into the body of the articles.

But, there's no respite for that reader who only scans through the two article headlines.

It does become more worrisome, if journalists are unable to correctly interpret data, because it means they may also not be able to effectively interrogate figures shared by those in authority, in the public's interest.

OF A NEWSPAPER ERROR AND ETERNAL HORROR

2020-06-12T18:25:00.002+03:00

In live news broadcasts, things can go terribly wrong, even after meticulous planning. However, there's always a predetermined cause of action that can be set in motion, to save the situation. But a newspaper publisher can only watch in horror, as an error remains in view for like an eternity.

In the newspaper page above, what could have gone wrong?

The printer encountered technical challenges that could not be resolved within the set publishing deadlines
It was discovered very late during the publishing or editorial process that some content of this page had 'life-threatening' risks, and had to be blocked by all, or any means
An insider was paid to sabotage the work of the affected columnists
It was the newspaper's way of showing solidarity with the racial injustice protests, across the world

The earliest some clarification could be made by the publisher is the following day, whilst the reader would probably desire a more immediate understanding of the actual reason behind this anomaly.

Poor print media...richness in ways to save face...when calamity strikes...is beyond reach!

That's a luxury reserved for broadcasting, where editorial or technical challenges can be addressed almost instantaneously.

In a TV newscast, the director can take a commercial or go to a break, to buy time and reorganise, in the event that the program experiences challenges.

Actually, the viewer might not even notice there's something wrong, unless the screen goes blank for more than 3 seconds or so.

For online or digital news outlets, mistakes can be rectified as soon as they are spotted, and apologies published thereafter.

For print media, some editorial or technical errors, indeed, can seem like horrors frozen in time.

COVID-19, PRICELESS AGENDA SETTING, AND THE TOP NEWS PRIZE

2020-05-30T11:25:00.000+03:00

Consumers of mainstream news products have greatly evolved. Their information intake does not just revolve around the output of established media channels. And that presents a major challenge to professionals trying to remain relevant in the news business, during the Covid-19 pandemic. For the top prize, good old news agenda setting remains priceless.

The coronavirus coverage in Kenya has involved a daily dose of what the country's health officials share, in terms of infections, recoveries and even deaths.

The shock value has since dissipated, and the audience hardly gets surprised by even new highs in the statistics, and their perceived significance can hardly be linked to a corresponding behavioural change.

News media managers therefore, have to re-examine how best to continue telling the Covid-19 stories in an impactful manner, that is both relevant and interesting.

Indeed, it would be foolhardy to send reporters to the government's press briefings, hoping they will come back with a good story, entirely based on what is said during the pressers.

Before leaving the newsroom, the reporters should already have their story, and attending the briefings should be an opportunity to enhance their predetermined content, or seek clarifications and official positions on the already identified issues.

In other words, the reality that press conferences are staged events should by now have firmly become self-evident.

Assignment editors:

- Don't send reporters to media briefings with questions to form the body of their story.

- Arm them with a story first, which will lead to probing questions.

FROM LEGACY JOURNALISM TO A JOURNALIST'S LEGACY

2020-04-30T19:34:00.000+03:00

To be a media practitioner is now hardly an attractive career option. The market is flooded with all manner of talent, both raw and refined. The unbridled storytelling passion of yore has given way to vain quests for fame and fortune. Legacy journalism is constantly being devalued, and not many a journalist is adding value to their legacy.

Indeed, media managers, pacesetters and trendsetters ought to re-examine the kind of legacy they are leaving behind, as they exit the stage, or approach the final bend in their illustrious careers.

- Did you allow others to thrive, or were you the one ensuring others don't survive?

- Were you among those taking the credit first, and feeling threatened by fast-rising talent?

- Or did you unselfishly push others to excel, and did not discredit their achievements?

- Will you be remembered for being a firm but fair boss, or will memories of you be laced with newsroom affairs, and failure to affirm professionalism?

- What kind of role model have you been, or do you believe you have no modelling role?

It's never too late to change your present, so that in future, your history will be honourable.

VIEWER, VIEWS AND BALANCED VIEWPOINTS

2020-03-25T11:46:00.000+03:00

We are currently living in very perilous times. The whole world appears to be confronted by a common enemy. And both local and international media have kept this story alive, adding to efforts to save lives, in light of the coronavirus pandemic. It's refreshing to see TV news coverage incorporating a diverse pool of experts and commentators. The viewer expects balanced viewpoints.

In what seems like an eternity, the dominant opinion in TV news shows has been emanating from male voices, with token appearances of female representatives, every now and then.

An all women panel thus presents a powerful statement of the 'neglected' abilities, capacities and brilliance that reside in the female consciousness.

Indeed, male perceptions in any discourse are likely to only give us half the story, and it would need the input of women to complete the picture.

Which then raises another issue.

Is having an all female panel in TV news discussions equally a disservice to the viewer?

Will this also lead to a warped world-view?

The main aim, I guess, should be to have balanced views, irrespective of whether they are coming from male or female viewpoints.

JOURNALISM: THE (IN)SANITY OF BECOMING ONE WITH THE STORY

2020-02-27T08:43:00.002+03:00

You are likely to start your journalism career with high energy, driven by mighty winds of ambition. Confidently balancing between serving public interest, and servicing self-interests of growth and success. Telling the story of other people grows on you. And you become a well-known story-teller. Then you and the story become one. The insanity around you, makes you question your own sanity.

How is it that a people can be so brutally uprooted, pain written all over their faces, and your work is just to report their plight?

Indeed, it becomes very difficult to tear away from the realities confronting you. The contradictions in life become more alive.

How other people's dreams can uplift you. And their nightmares won't leave you.

As our TV crew went about filming and filing stories about the desperation in northern Burkina Faso, I kept reflecting on the failures of humanity.

Seeing, especially children being exposed to so much suffering, makes you question the very meaning of life.

The shock...the horror...the trauma! If that's how I felt, what words would sufficiently describe the agony of those directly affected?

In a way, telling such stories could be the only way to mobilise assistance.

For me as a journalist, sanity prevails if there's a good ending.

But insanity is no longer far away, if all I do is help to tell a never-ending sad story.

THE DAY I MADE PRESIDENT MOI LAUGH

2020-02-11T02:43:00.000+03:00

Kenya has been mourning the passing of the country's second president. Granted, the rule of the late Daniel arap Moi, was associated with a lot of political repression, brutality and suppressed civil liberties. Still, there are those who harbour memories of pleasant encounters. I cannot forget the day I made the then president Moi laugh.

It was customary for educational institutions to be drafted into entertainment programs for the former Head of State.

Towards the end of my first university days, I happened to be part of a very dynamic drama team, which specialised in delivering often unscripted,yet powerful, hilarious and poignant performances.

Such was the popularity of our group of 'legendary' thespians, that we easily landed an invite to perform for the president at his Kabarak home chapel, during one of the Christmas festivities.

Normally, it was the choir that would be chosen to belt out Christmas carols that were always a favourite with president Moi, but like I've said, it was hard to ignore the then thriving stage creatives.

Having us on board was obviously a big risk for our minders, but since the theme was going to be a Christian one, there was some comfort that we wouldn't easily stray into dangerous territory.

And so for many evenings, we rehearsed the Christmas play, supervised by very senior university administrators, including vice chancellors.

The 'notorious' drama team worked hard to perfect a skit based on an imaginary baby Jesus, being born in the streets of Nairobi, with all the attendant chaos of the late 1990s.

And on the day of the big performance, I was ready to deliver my role as a tout for a public service mini-bus, popularly known as matatu in Kenya.

On spotting the couple cast as Joseph and a pregnant Mary, I loudly beckoned to them:

"Hamza...Buruburu...Kayole...Komarock....na Bethlehem!!!

I then grabbed their luggage as I ushered them into the improvised matatu prop. It was no more than a group of students strategically standing/bending in such a way as to represent a vehicular contraption.

Once Joseph and Mary were in, I took their luggage to the rear end of the makeshift matatu, lifted the hands of two actors outwards, to simulate the opening of the boot or trunk, then placed the bags inside, then simultaneously brought the two outstretched hands downwards, to close the boot.

It was then that our eyes met.

I panicked.

The dreaded president Moi was laughing at something that I had done!

I froze and couldn't recall what I was to do or say next.

Luckily, my scene naturally blended into the encounter between Joseph, Mary and the innkeeper.

But wait...Daniel Toroitich arap Moi laughed...based entirely on something that I did?

Such was the power that he wielded, that even managing to elicit a direct reaction from him...counts as a big achievement for me.

Please allow me to hold onto this memory, as Kenya lays to rest its longest-serving president.

FACTS, FICTION AND FANTASY NEWS

2020-01-20T20:28:00.001+03:00

The world of make belief works best in the movies business. Truth might sometimes be stranger than fiction, but facts remain the bedrock of true journalism. There is fantasy football, but there can never be fantasy news. That's why foolishly unbelievable newspaper accounts are so irksome.

It's almost impossible to explain why the editor elected to dwell in impossibilities, in crafting the article above.

Immediately after the headline, a reader encounters a strange bit of information stating:

Education ministry extends the deadline for Form One admission to January 17.

Have you noted the absurdity yet?

I've given you a clue already. And it has all to do with the date of publication for this particular paper.

At the far-right corner...the date reads 19th January! And the deadline extension being suggested...up to 17th January.

The 'clueless' editor couldn't care less that the right information is well captured in the main article.

The reader would certainly care more if editorial judgement is not easily compromised.

OLD MEDIA ISSUES AND DICTATES OF A NEW DECADE

2020-01-04T21:47:00.002+03:00

It's the beginning of a new decade. But old issues appear destined to remain on the Kenyan media landscape. It's been more than ten years and counting, since this platform started to highlight editorial missteps, misadventures, misinterpretations, misinformation, and the occasional media brilliance.

However, of what value will continued critiquing of the same mistakes be?

Going forward, it should no longer be about pointing out media failures at the level of simple typographical errors, and reporting or contextual inaccuracies.

It may be a long shot, but one hopes media coverage of local and international issues will evolve into a more sophisticated venture, feeding on the latest newsroom innovations, and driven by the most modern technologies.

This, I strongly believe, will subsequently trigger a more rigorous, and elevated media criticism.

indeed, the weekly frequency of the posts here, has remarkably been consistent.

But it may now be prudent to reduce the output, so as to allow the focus to be on weightier issues, whose merit should be pegged on significant value addition, and not mere media criticism.

Let the new chapter begin!

POSTSCRIPT:
In the beginning of the last decade, there were very few Kenyan platforms, solely dedicated to media criticism. It was easy to push out very exclusive content. And in those days, posting screenshots of editorial blunders was still a novelty in this part of the world. But at the onset of the 2020 decade, virtually anyone with a smartphone, Internet connectivity and either of the abundant social media accounts, can be an effective media critic. An error in the traditional, digital or even alternative media, can't go undetected for long. This platform therefore, feels a little less obligated to keep the media in check, and grateful to have played a role in inspiring the culture of media scrutiny in Kenya.

OF DIFFERENT POINTS NOT BEING YIELDED FROM SAME FACTS

2019-12-28T13:34:00.000+03:00

Towards the end of the year, news stories have a habit of making a disappearing act. This means newsrooms often struggle to get content to fill up their regular broadcasts or publications. What can work is preparing for this lean period in advance, and setting aside backup stories. What won't certainly work is repeating the same facts in the hope of making different points.

In the newspaper article above, there no additional value in repeating the bit of information, especially in such close proximity.

It could be that the editor wanted to emphasise the shocking details of the scandal being reported.

But re-stating the same facts more than twice, amounts to a needless over-emphasis.

And, using the same wording, would likely make a reader wonder why the paper wants this particular bit of information stressed, or whether there's a hidden motive.

Either that, or it's a case of an absent-minded editor, not minding about editorial responsibilities.

EXAM RESULTS, MAD NEWSROOM DASH, CRAZY LISTS & INSANE ANALYSIS

2019-12-21T11:00:00.000+03:00

Immediately after the announcement of the results for national examinations in Kenya, a mad dash ensues in newsrooms. The obsession of the moment becomes compiling a list of the top performers, and rankings, using all manner of parameters. And things can get crazy. Like how insane is it for the press to throw in a non-existent score, in the analysis?

In the published set of scores above, there's one that really stands out, among the outstanding performances.

Funny thing is that there isn't much of a big difference between that particular score and the ones before it, or even after.

If the top score is an 'A' followed by 'A-' then why would the editor throw in an 'A+' right after a bunch of A minuses? And bearing the same aggregate points an 'A-' performance?

Admittedly, it's not easy to put together such rankings at such a short notice, given that the information is largely sourced by making own contacts with parents or guardians of the students, because the government does not supply the data.

But due diligence and attention to details should always remain a top journalistic priority.

For allowing this error to pass through the editorial gatekeeping, this amounts to an epic fail.

OF HEADLINES AND EDITING HEADING NOWHERE

2019-12-14T11:36:00.000+03:00

Processing of raw information is a painstaking yet indispensable activity, if the desired end product is high quality journalism. But sometimes, there appears to be more editorial disengagement than a meaningful collaboration, during the editing process. This could lead to headlines heading nowhere.

In the headline for the newspaper article above, something is clearly amiss.

The sub-editor/headline writer most probably realised the space was inadequate to add another word that would have made the topline more sensible.

In line with the practise of chopping the content from the end, in the belief that the most important details are given priority from the beginning, a la inverted pyramid, a critical word was sacrificed.

Space constraint...well taken care of...But what is the resultant headline sensible?

Unless the intention is to indicate there is nothing to hide and the said scholarships are publicly being awarded, then the sense is warped, if not lost altogether.

This headline definitely needs a hospital admission!

ASSETS, DOUBLE NEGATIVES AND MEDIA CONFUSION

2019-12-07T16:14:00.000+03:00

Confusion is not something any media outlet would want to propagate. A lot of motivation for the practise of journalism, is anchored on a need to make sense out of an abundance of confusion, especially in the information age. And this is then translates into a noble public interest service. That's why its perplexing to see confusing double negatives, evading editorial gatekeeping.

In the article above, the intention appears to have been to indicate that not all the main subject's assets, had been disclosed.

What we get instead is:

"...there could be some assets that have not been undisclosed."

This has the opposite effect of suggesting the said 'some assets' have been disclosed, which obviously contradicts the import of asserting that 'court documents also make no mention of any bank accounts'.

Does that make any sense to you?

Certainly not to me!

LEAVING BIRD IN LOCAL MEDIA HANDS & CHASING GLAMOROUS MONACO BIRDS

2019-11-29T10:22:00.000+03:00

Kenyan media crews travelled thousands of kilometres to European shores, to cover the crowing of the World Male Athlete of the Year. But there was no reporter dispatched to the home of the eventual winner, who gave his acceptance speech from Kenya. In other words, the local media left the bird in hand in Kenya, and opted to chase many other glamorous birds in Monaco.

This editorial embarrassment went a notch higher, in one of the news reports sent from the venue, for a local broadcast.

There was no sense of shame in including a video conference clip of the winner in the story, given the irony of the TV channel not being able to get a reaction in its own neighbourhood.

You see, it was extremely likely that the World Athletics Awards will feature the Kenyan, and yet no effort seemed to have been made to cover this story from a local angle.

Granted. The awards ceremony could have been a live event, with a recorded insert of the winner giving his acceptance speech.

But there's hardly anything that could have prevented the local crews deployed to Monaco, from pre-taping or pre-interviewing the winner in anticipation, while still in Kenya.

Or is it a case of once beaten, forever shy of taking risks?

I do recall a nightmare scenario about 8 years ago, highlighted here, when one of the sports journalists dispatched to the recent awards ceremony, had an article published, proclaiming what he felt was a sure bet winner.

The only problem then, was that the organisers named somebody else, leading to one of the most glaring yet 'unreported' media contradictions.

One full blown article with the wrong 'winner' got copious prominence, while in the sports section of the same newspaper, another story by the same writer, got the facts right.

Yikes! Just don't do it.

FACTUAL INFORMATION AND A FICTIONAL NEWS SENSE/TENSE

2019-11-23T16:45:00.000+03:00

That the truth can be stranger than fiction is hardly disputable. And fictional accounts in the mainstream media have their own special sections, where the truth is not a key consideration. But when reporting the news, the press has to be accountable for the shared facts. It is strange to come across content that's based on factual information, yet ends up looking fictional.

That's what's apparent in the article above, and it has all to do with the conveyed sense, from the headline.

Let's try and break it down. The editor saw it fit to call attention to the story by stating:

'3 in priest murder case plead later'

So, did the suspects take the plea?

Not really, contrary to the insinuation from the headline.

And what is actually meant by 'plead later' and is that even a possibility?

Plead suggests the action already happened, so to assign it a future time frame, is nothing short of an absurdity.

It's most likely the editor intended to say the suspects would 'plead later' but perhaps due to space constraints, ended up omitting the one innocuous word that would have made all the difference.

'3 in priest murder case TO plead later'

Yes. This even tallies with the details in the story because the suspects didn't take plea.

Please editor, heed my plea and plead guilty for this editorial offence.

WHEN SAME INFORMATION TAKES DIFFERENT FORMS

2019-11-16T20:25:00.000+03:00

Kenya's mainstream newspapers are known to strive to differentiate their content, in a bid to retain their respective audiences. However, even publishers know that in the news business, there's little that can be done to render facts in one story differently. It's therefore quite odd to see the same information take different forms. The angles can differ but not the truth.

In the coverage of the story above, it appears like either one paper did not have it's facts right, or the other was being economical with the truth.

What is the title of the main subject in the story?

Paper 1 alludes to the fact that the Nairobi County Assembly Majority Leader is embattled but still in office.

Paper 2 though, refers to the same majority leader as having been ousted.

If one has not been following the going ons at the Nairobi County Assembly, this indeed could be quite confusing, and frustrating.

But for one who's familiar with recent developments of the same assembly, it would be very apparent that the main subject of this story is no longer holding his previous position.

And that then raises the question of why one simple fact can yield two interpretations.

Or, is this a credible editorial omission, or a commission of a discreditable edit?

RARE PASSION, MOTIVATION AND SELF-DRIVEN JOURNALISM

2019-11-09T10:58:00.000+03:00

The journalism space in Kenya has experienced tremendous growth over the years. Naturally, as old hands exit the limelight, new faces light up the media landscape. But one aspect mostly amiss with the new talent, is the right motivation and passion for the job. That's why those who remain true to the cause, in a self-driven manner, need to be applauded.

One such individual is the writer of the newspaper article above, more known for TV business news reporting, but one who delights in engaging in a different news segment, on a different medium!

Now that is rare passion.

Away from the familiar territory of business coverage, he ventures into a not so well-known sport locally, and delivers it eloquently, such that the editor has no worries about giving the story almost an entire page.

It truly is an inspired initiative, especially given that not so many regular sports reporters have a grasp of the intrigues and mechanics of Formula One racing.

Vroom-vroom...Zoom away.... to greater heights...Alex!

SIGNATURES WITH NO SIGN OF SIGNIFICANCE

2019-11-02T10:58:00.000+03:00

Communication should be a simple and even natural process. Information is shared or exchanged between to or more people or entities. It is imperative for that information to be meaningful though, or one that sense can be derived from. And for news media especially, context is very critical for the content being passed to the audience to be useful or impactful.

What's the significance of the signatures being highlighted in the story tag above?

The viewer is not given any clue as to who the signatures belong to.

In the next set of on screen graphics, there's more reference of the signatures, and them being about to be vetted.

But, it's still not clear who the signatures belong to, or their intended purpose.

There's more information displayed... a little more about the background of the signatures.

But if the viewer is not following the discussions, or happens to just tune in, there'll still be no sign of the significance of the signatures!

PAUSE: NEWSMAKERS POISED TO POSE?

2019-10-26T10:57:00.000+03:00

English is fraught with many loopholes, especially for non-native speakers. What appears obvious might not be correct. And what is correct might not be that obvious. Broadcast channels that use English, however, really have no excuse for flouting language rules, or even misusing words. It helps to pause, and ask whether newsmakers can pose, before they get poised to do something.

In the TV lower third caption above, what exactly is the intended meaning?

Supposing 'Ruto allies posed to reject the report', ...wait!...

What report is being referred to here?

Is any viewer tuning in, from whatever part of the world, expected to be familiar with this report?

That's what using the definite article, 'the' would imply, right?

Back to the posing business...composing this strap means.....

....the news/program production team is explicitly suggesting that before Ruto allies rejected 'the report' they first posed!

Posed for a picture? Posed to ask a question? Posed with the intention of falsely misrepresenting or impressing?

Indeed, it would have been helpful to pause, and ask if newsmakers can pose, before they get poised to do something.

EDITORIAL ABDICATION & REIGN OF ERRORS: THE FREE REIN EDITION

2019-10-19T16:59:00.000+03:00

A newspaper of record should strive to uphold the highest standards. Errors are not always understandable. But admitting mistakes and publishing apologies is admirable. There's a thresh-hold, however, in the frequency of blunders, beyond which readers begin to question the credibility aspects and professional integrity. Editorial abdication often leads to a reign of errors.

For this 'reputable' Kenyan paper, there have been plenty of repugnant editorial bloopers, coming out of its production line, lately.

Even when it appears to be an effortless undertaking, like re-reading the headline and comparing it with the intro of the article below, the sub-editor elects to mix-up facts.

The headline talks of Kiir, the picture shows Machar and the Intro also makes reference to Riek Machar. So, the headline contradicts the article!

And how weird is it to see initials being used in a story, followed by a word that's supposed to be part of the initial initials.

If UoN stands for University of Nairobi, what does University of UoN mean anyway, if not total redundancy?

Even the best of columnists, are note spared the agony of this kind of editorial ignominy. Here, it appears like the difference between 'several times' and 'severally' is not so apparent.

Indeed, as a media entity celebrates 60 years of 'quality' journalism, it's not too much to expect that it's gatekeepers would be conversant with the geography of the region it operates in.

I mean, how ignorant is it to state, nay, publish for posterity, the fallacy of Tanzania being a land-locked country?

Like it has been pointed out here so, so many times, there's an elaborate newsroom and production process, to ensue there's a minimal number of errors, before a newspaper hits the news stand.

The optimal situation is to have a flawless press.

But impressive as that aspiration maybe, it's simply not achievable.

There's, however, the expectation that if all the responsible hands do a good job, then the outcome will not be bad for the brand.

Losing sight of the principle of editorial oversight can lead to very unsightly publications.

It's a pity that even petty mistakes have become pretty much normal.

One could be easily tempted to conclude that the casual manner in which these articles are proof-read, reflects the seriousness accorded to fact-checking or cross-checking of details before they are published.

It's good for a newspaper to admit it's mistakes and take corrective measures.

But if this becomes the norm rather than the exception, it wouldn't take an exceptional reader to read between the lines and see the underlying incompetence.

So, here's to more editorial abdication and reign of errors!

REWRITING HISTORY WITH THE WRONG NEWS STORY

2019-10-10T23:56:00.000+03:00

A chronicler of of unfolding events, is what some may define as one of the the key role of journalism. And this often involves witnessing major occurrences from a vantage point, to later put on record what may end up having immense historical value. So reporting historical facts should be a much simpler task. And there should be no reason to end up rewriting history with the wrong news story.

In the newspaper article above, a very straightforward fact is glaringly being misrepresented.

Any good student of history, or current affairs for that matter, should be able to explain how centuries are counted.

In summary, from 0 to the first 100 years, constitutes the 1st century.

It follows then that from 101-200 is the 2nd century.

Likewise, between 1401 and 1500 is definitely the 15th century.

According to this article, the church in question goes back to the 17th century.

This would mean between 1601 and 1700, right?

Wrong, (not you....the headline writer).

You see, the article goes ahead to say:

'Mumias Anglican Church's history dates back to 1885 when the clergyman was speared to death.'

Unless this newspaper wants to rewrite history with the wrong story, the events being quoted never happened in the 17th century.

1885 is actually very close to the 20th century!

DUSTY NEWS STORY, RUSTY COVERAGE!

2019-10-03T23:00:00.004+03:00

Something dramatic, significant, unusual, of some human interest and dominating offline and online discussions. These are all vital ingredients that could make a memorable news item, especially for TV. But Kenyan broadcasting stations downplayed the importance of a weather phenomenon, whose impact was felt for hours. The news story was dusty, but the coverage was truly rusty.

It was a rare weather spectacle in this part of the world, but the local press appeared to have been reduced to spectators.

Given how accessible this story was, it was amazing how there was an 'over-reliance' on footage shot by amateur videographers.

Just how 'impossible' was it for TV crews to be quickly assembled and deployed, to get first-hand accounts of this dust storm?

And one has to one wonders if this lethargic approach would be as dominant, if a big natural disaster is to strike Kenya.

Indeed, a lot more should have been done by the local media, given their tendency to set up live broadcasts, at the slightest provocation.

Hopefully, the local media outlets will dust themselves off and be more gusty in the coverage of such stories going forward.

NEWSPAPER HEADLINES: DOS AND DOTS

2019-09-26T22:16:00.001+03:00

A newspaper headline is what initially draws a reader to an article. It may even be the decider between glossing over, or getting into the rest of the content. A reader usually scans through the headline, looking for a main keyword, hence the reason why an active verb is critical. But it's also important to cross the t's and dot the i's.

The innocuous omission in the headline above, may not amount to much, and the chances of the article to be read may not be dented.

A curious mind may, however, spot the missing dot...

... and question the editorial abilities on display here, or lack thereof, and even raise doubts about the seriousness accorded to attention to details, as a core value of this newspaper publisher.

It may well be an honest mistake.

But honestly, it's not much ado about a dot!