FREEDOM OF PRESS

Media houses have been denied freedom ever since the new government came into power.

Freedom of the press is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic media, especially published materials, should be considered a right to be exercised freely.media freedom has been deteriorating around the world over the past decade Kenya not excluded. 

Courtesy of Google.

The fundamental freedom to read and disseminate information through an independent press is under attack and part of the attacks have recently come from unexpected leaders . The elected leaders have made efforts to silence media sources which try to put them accountable for their deeds. The recent attacks by the Trade Cabinet secretary Moses Kuria on the Nation Media House is one of the recent highlighted infringements on press freedom.

 

The Cs has been under sharp criticism after he attacked the Nation Media Group (NMG), labelling their journalists as "prostitutes" in what was seen as a response to an exposé NMG ran over the weekend on an oil scandal allegedly orchestrated by his ministry.He even made a roadside declaration ordering government agencies to stop advertising with NMG or face dismissal. With such leaders where do you think we're heading to?

The erosion of press freedom is both a symptom of and a contributor to the breakdown of other democratic institutions and principles, a fact that makes it especially alarming. Such utterances have made it difficult for journalists to expose the government officials to be accountable and weed the one's conducting dubious businesses. 

Journalists are still facing threats and information in the course of their work.

Courtesy of Google.

Despite freedom of the media and access to information being enshrined in the Constitution. The threats are by state actors and non-state actors in a bid to silence journalists and dissuade them from bringing those in power to account.At the same time, it emerged that digital technology also poses a threat to journalists.This, stakeholders said, makes censorship easier by government agencies and political wheeler-dealers who want to suppress the truth.

The government officials are using social media to attack the media and brand them as biased media houses hence posing the risk of independent Journalism. After the profiling of the media houses to be bad ,experts say that freedom of media is most endangered in rural areas where there is minimal security as those who do support the government officials behind media houses will attack the journalists and even take their cameras and belongings away.The media environment in Kenya also faces the challenge of politicization, with many major media houses owned by or linked to political figures. Creating media independent of political and business interests.

The government should not exercise control over any media houses or journalist that is engaged in broadcasting or publication of any information by any medium,this will help achieve the press freedom. The legislators should enact laws that protect the journalists from extremism. This will make the media houses bring out news without bias and exposing the rogue officials.

Ends...