No. 12, January 25, 2010

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Shame of Kenya Today’s cooked survey!

On Monday, December 7, 2009, The Bulletin questioned the science behind a “study” carried out by The Star which found that a vote of no confidence on Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Parliament would fail. The paper had reported that on the basis of its own “preliminary analysis”, Raila would garner the support of 123 MPs and that only 90 would vote against him. Eight MPs would be undecided. We rubbished the story as fabricated news. The Star protested.

Call it the power of bad example. Now, Kenya Today, the paper stewarded by Ezekiel Mutua, has taken fictitious news to a higher level. The government weekly last week led with the headline, ‘What Kenyans want about media rules.’ A “survey” by KT had “revealed” that 68 percent of Kenyans “frown at airing of explicit sexual content likely to corrupt public morals as well as that which glorifies violence, hate speech and bigotry.” The “survey” was conducted by KT following publication of controversial broadcast regulations by the Ministry of Information and Communication.

“The survey indicates that a majority of Kenyans want content of adult nature aired late at night when children are asleep,” KT reported. It proceeded to quote an anonymous parent backing that view. And then? “These sentiments were supported by Information and Communication PS Bitange Ndemo who argued that it is against African culture to discuss sex in the presence of minors.”

Shame on you Ezekiel and your cabal of charlatans at KT! Was that science? Was that journalism or a fraudulent and cynical attempt to manipulate the minds of your readers? How was the “survey” conducted? How were those findings arrived at? What were the other percentages? Sample size and methodology?

That was quackery, pure and simple. Media houses worth their name (and a department of government in this case) should not cook up figures and give polling a bad name. Respectable media organisations commission research organizations to do surveys for them and then report on the findings.

KT’s CEO is Jerry Okungu, a prolific commentator and man of good standing. Sir, why did you choose to drag your reputation in the gutter to preside over such bastardization of journalism? Is this the journalism that you honestly believe will help build a new Kenya?

Great coverage of al-Faisal saga

Is Kenyan media biased against Islam or do some followers of the religion suffer from persecution complex? Pictures of angry protesters, some hooded, hurling stones and other objects at Police in Nairobi on Friday, January 15, once again brought home to Kenyans the dreadful spectre of violence waged in the name of religion. The protesters were demanding justice for Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal, an extremist Muslim cleric detained in Nairobi and whom some western countries claim is associated with international terrorism groups. The Jamaican preacher had previously been convicted for hate speech. Why would anyone demand that the man, an illegal alien, be allowed to go about his business in our country? What are we to think of youth who see such a villain as their hero and are ready to use violence to defend him?

The media must be commended for its great coverage of the al-Faisal story and the subsequent government crackdown on illegal foreigners. But while many Muslim leaders condemned the violence and the unwanted presence of al-Faisal, it was clear that others saw the saga in religious terms. It was not about an illegal alien endangering the security of Kenya but the persecution of a religious dignitary by authorities that hate Islam.

Perhaps the media should have looked away from al-Faisal and the violence of his admirers? If those were peaceful protesters, where did they pick up those stones? Outside Jamia Mosque? Why were some of them hooded or in military-like fatigues? Where did that black flag come from and what was it about? If those were ordinary Kenyans protesting against injustice perpetrated by the state, why did they have to do so behind the flag of religion?

Ok, granted it is a moot question whether al Faisal should have been held in remand prison since he had not been charged with any offence under Kenyan law. But that aside, radical Islam is a reality around the world, but some Muslims do not want to admit this fact. Listen to Hassan ole Naado, the CEO of the Kenya Muslim Youth Alliance, defending radical Muslim youth: “Every Muslim worth that title knows that Islam denounces violence and murder. But the socio-economic and political circumstances currently prevailing in many Muslim communities have caused many of them to ignore these noble teachings.” What has that to do with al-Faisal and the street madness we saw in Nairobi?

The whole al-Faisal saga was a PR disaster for Islam, whose followers have the tough task of convincing all and sundry that they are for peace. Faisal has left the country less one citizen and Shs350 million the poorer in damaged property but Muslim leaders have an even harder task of telling the country what they are doing about those hotheads in their midst who readily use violence in the name of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala.

And that is a story for the media.

Spreading rumour as news

On Monday, Daily Nation had a story dispelling rumours that popular Congolese musician Koffi Olomide had died in an accident. Ironically, the same paper carried a Page One story that amounted to rumour. A General Service Unit officer who was injured during a riot by Muslim youth in Nairobi had died of his injuries, Daily Nation reported. The paper quoted a Mr Kiraithe - whose designation or relevance to the story was not given - as confirming the sad news. To further convince the reader about the authenticity of the report, Nation suggested it had the officer’s name but could not publish it “because his family has not been informed of his fate.”

But in a happy turn of events, Police said none of the officers injured during the chaos had died. The source of the Nation story was certainly that Mr Kiraithe. What reason did the reporters have to believe him? And who exactly was that fellow? Why didn’t the newspaper publish his full name and position? Nation reported that the GSU officer died at the Forces Memorial Hospital. Why didn’t the reporters call the hospital to independently confirm the news? Or was Mr Kiraithe the hospital’s spokesman?

Still on the Muslim protest, how many people died in the chaos? Most news outlets said “at least one.” A few others said four. KTN which showed live pictures of the riot reported one death. But Capital FM website reported that five people died. A Capital FM reporter at the scene “counted five bodies of the dead.” Police or medical authorities did not confirm these figures. Granted, some situations are quite difficult for reporters, but every effort must be made to ascertain the facts of a story. If in doubt leave it out.

Bonnie serves raw nyam chom

Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, certainly has the country’s highest number of experts –except mole trappers, magicians, basket weavers and busaa brewers. So it should be easy for a serious journalist researching a story to get a bagful of learned opinion on just about any subject. That is why anyone keenly watching KTN news on Sunday, January 17, 2009, must have felt cheated. Bonnie Odinga served up a raw piece of journalism about our national delicacy, ‘nyama choma’. Most people have heard that too much roast red meat and beer predispose one to gout. That was the gist of Bonnie’s story.

So we expected him to raid several ‘nyam chom’ joints and bring us the goings-on. That he did. He would also have needed to find out all the medical science about gout. How widespread is the problem? Is it treatable? How much is too much ‘nyam chom’ and beer? What exactly is the connection between these two and gout? Etc. The story would have been quite sizzling if the reporter had talked to a patient or survivor. But Bonnie did not bother with these things. For medical opinion, the KTN man interviewed, wait for it, a pharmacist! Of course the expert told Bonnie that too much ‘nyam chom’ and beer could cause gout. And nothing more.

What is gout, medically? Bonnie told us about a burning pain in the joints and a swollen big toe. He then spoke to staff at some ‘nyam chom’ haunts who, quite predictably, told him that their stuff does not cause gout. A ‘nyam chom’ enthusiast who has enjoyed his delicacy for decades also laughed at the science. The final shot showed Bonnie munching an apparently juicy cut of ‘nyam chom’. His story was done.

Where does this trashy journalism take us, Bonnie? How much information was in that story? Did your viewers really understand gout and the connection with ‘nyam chom’ and beer? We understand that sometimes reporters work to tight deadlines. But what’s better: airing a raw report which leaves key questions unanswered, even encouraging a disastrous habit, or holding the story until it is fully done, whatever the cost?

The Bulletin will fine you for this, Bonnie: five kilos of ‘nyam chom’ at Kenyatta Market and seven crates of beer this Friday. Thereafter we shall have our big toes looked at by a pharmacist.