Media owners call for collaboration to protect journalists
Kenya Media Owners Association have called for the establishment of a supportive ecosystem for journalists to help them navigate through the complexities of the profession.
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00:00 However, tragically, in recent years, we have witnessed a worrying trend in Kenya, where journalists who shed light on these issues often face violence and persecution, not only physical attacks but also online intimidation, threats, criminalization, and stigmatizing rhetoric sent by some public figures.
00:24 This trend threatens the very fabric of our democracy. We have seen physical and verbal attacks by law enforcement officers, unfortunately. In fact, in cases where they are covering political issues, this situation is unacceptable and must not be allowed to continue. What is more alarming is the prevailing culture of impunity that surrounds these crimes.
00:52 As far as engaging in hate speech, sponsoring hashtags to attack media houses or attack journalists, those are crimes against journalists. The people who move around and look for funding or collect money in the name of coming to help journalists, and they do not help journalists eventually, those are crimes against journalists.
01:20 The people who employ journalists, for one reason or another, are unable to pay them, those are also crimes against journalists.
01:36 So that if we are really discussing the entire issue about protecting journalists, it is about people who know that their actions or inactions are making the work of journalists difficult.
01:50 In recent years, our nation's media landscape has undergone significant growth and transformation, evolving into a vibrant and diverse space where ideas and information flow freely. However, alongside this expansion, there have emerged challenges that we cannot ignore.
02:12 As the media landscape has expanded, so too have the risks that confront journalists. With the revolution in Kenya, the space for more individuals and groups to venture into print and broadcasting media has increased as community-based journalists and correspondents address local issues.
02:32 This expansion has brought about a likely increase in threats and persecution faced by journalists at the local and national level in the new political dispensation. They now face threats including verbal harassment, physical violence and tragically, even the loss of their lives.
02:52 It is with very heavy hearts that we acknowledge that the pursuit of truth has, at times, come with immeasurable cost.
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