The media council of Kenya (MCK) on Friday cautioned journalists against engaging in what it described at skewed and partisan reporting which it said included sensationalism and bias.
In a statement to newsrooms, the council noted a “worrying trend of screaming headlines without corresponding content alongside multiple repetitions of headlines within a short period of time” which it said did not give new or additional information.
David Omwoyo, the MCK chief executive officer, said in the statement that the council was concerned about the current handling of national issues by the media, a trend he said was fast eroding credibility of the media and affecting public trust.
“The MCK warns that if the present trend continues, the good image, credibility, and capacity of the media to contribute to national development will suffer great damage,” Omwoyo, said in the statement.
He called on journalists to uphold their professional code of conduct especially in this era of fake news and misinformation.
Sections of the media have on occasion been accused of being partisan and sympathetic to certain political and social inclinations, eroding the cardinal journalistic principals of fairness and balance.
