CAN WE REALLY TRUST THE MEDIA?

Many Kenyans doubt what they read and hear in the news.When asked how much confidence and trust in the accuracy and fairness of the news reports of our local newspapers, TV and radio ,your guess is as good as mine to what people said.
Many journalists and the media houses they work for have expressed a commitment to producing accurate and informative reports.There is still a reason for concern though.Consider the following factors.
Media Owners
A small but very powerful number of corporations own the mainstream media.These main media houses are the agenda setters.They influence which stories get covered, how they are covered and to what extent they are covered.Take the Mpeketoni killings for example, the media prominently covered it for a week after which it was all toned down so Kenyans could forget.
Most of our media houses are for profit purposes only and major decisions made are motivated by financial gain.Stories that may interfere with the organizations' profit most likely will go unreported.For instance, a story about Safaricom's illegal dealings will not be reported for fear of losing advertisement revenue.
 Government
Journalists get most of their contacts and sources from government officials.Most of what we watch on NTV, Citizen or KTN is politics and affairs of the government.A media house can not risk reporting negatives about the governnment as they fear being victimized or having their licence revoked.
Dishonesty
Not all reporters are honest.Most of them fabricate stories.Take the example of the NTV reporter who made up the Campus Diva story.He did such a shoddy job that even amateurs were complaining.Photos can also be manipulated to deceive the public.Photo-altering technology such as Photoshop have made it practically impossible to detect manipulations.
Assumptions
Accurate reporting is often not easy.What seems to be a fact today may be a lie tomorrow because of technological advances.Once we all thought that the earth was at the center of the solar system but we now know that the earth moves around the sun.
Competition
In the past KBC was the only TV station one could watch but as TV stations multiplied, the amount of time viewers spent watching just one station dropped.To keep the numbers of viewers up, stations are compelled to offer unique programs.Prime time TV news has become a fashion show where the female anchors dress up in really tight clothes and put on lots of makeup to keep the viewers tuned.

All these aside, we have to give them the benefit of the doubt.Journalists are also human and they make mistakes.A misspelled word, a misplaced comma or an error in grammar can also distort the meaning of a sentence.Facts are not always carefully checked, especially when a journalist is struggling to meet a deadline.
Have a journalistic day, won't you?

THIS APPLIES TO YOU...YES YOU!

This is not an original  post.I do not usually do this, but this was too juicy to enjoy alone.Even the Good Old Book says that stolen bread is sweeter, or something like that.I am going to share this because it affects most of us college students, and those who are soon going to graduate.When I think graduation, I think big black gate opening to usher us to the harsh outside world where opportunities are, seemingly, only available to those with serious connections.This post changed how I thought.So here goes...

       "A few weeks ago I ranted on twitter about how young Kenyans just out of college seeking jobs, or those still in college seeking internships have no clue how to relate professionally. Some responses were angry ones from possible campus students, or just people who have a strong opinion about everything, without critically looking at the issue at hand. (and they're many of these types on twitter)

Anyway, last week, I set up a meeting between a young person that's very close to my heart and a friend of mine who runs a top ICT company. It wasn't a job interview, but just a sit down chat so my young friend would get to know what happens in the business, as well as to network and hopefully make a good impression to a possible employer.

He had all his papers in order, and dressed well for the meeting, but against my advise, went along with a friend. (who proceeded to ask the secretary if they have openings in another department.)

After his meeting, I asked him to write a letter of gratitude to the MD: and this is what he wrote:

Subject: Appriciation
Hi,
I would like to thank you, for having a meeting with me.
Incase of any opening i could qualify for, i would appriciate if you kept me in mind.
Thanks.

He copied me in on the letter (please note; I have not altered anything). Take a look at the spelling mistakes and the careless casual attitude it carries.

He does not address the MD by name, and does not sign off with his.

In my opinion it was a hurriedly written letter by someone who's not really interested in a job.

When I rant, I mean well.

I hope that these young people can polish up their images.

I'm also ashamed of our institutions of higher learning, who are in charge of preparing these young people for the real world, and are currently doing NOTHING about it.

Countless times, I get emails from young people seeking internships and job opportunities, and they're very few that impress.

Several of them start with " Hi" some go the extra mile and say "Hey babes". ( listen, we're not friends just because we've tweeted each other. 'Sasa Mrembo" and "Cheers" is not how you ask for a job, I will never take you seriously, and most likely, no one else will.

So Dear young people, as I said on twitter last week, SMS speak is for your room-mate.

"w8 4 ur assist" will not earn you a place on my or anyone else's priority list.

English is the language spoken in the real world, and with that, polish up your presentation, you can never have a second chance at first impressions."

You can read more of these pieces at  http://missterryannechebet.blogspot.nl

I REGRET TO INFORM YOU

Hello good people. I trust you are well. I am too. I woke up this morning, checked my Facebook and Twitter as usual and found the picture (above) doing the rounds. Do you remember that chilling feeling, that feeling of fear you felt when you were little and you saw a doctor with a needle ready to give you the dreaded injection when you were sick? That is exactly how I felt; only this time it was worse.

It pains me to see so may hate messages around the internet. Anytime someone starts a conversation, politics finds its way in somehow .People start getting defensive and you start hearing things such as “you kikuyus” or “hawa wajaluo”. I know that everyone is entitled to freedom of association and that we all have a right to be affiliated to say, a political party or a religion. But should these be the lines upon which we are divided? We are all Kenyans and our beauty is in our diversity. My blood ad your blood are the same. You are my brother, I am your sister.

We are swayed too easily by our political affiliations. These politicians are all the same. They light the fire,add more kuni then fly out when things in Kenya become too hot .It is you and I who will burn, it is you and I that will be IDPs ,it is you and I who will have nothing to eat because food will be extremely expensive. They lie to us that we are one. We are not on the same page, heck, not even in the same book. The only thing we have in common is our national ID.

Before you think of fighting your  neighbor in the name of defending the Railas and Uhurus, remember that day when your child became sick in the middle of the night and it’s your kikuyu neighbor who took you to hospital in his car yet mwezi ilikua kwa kona.Remember that day when your mother in law was around and your salt was finished and you borrowed your Luo neighbor because MIL would say you are irresponsible? That my friends is the reality of the matter. The only connection we have with these tribal kingpins is that we make them richer by buying that pouch of Brookside milk when we are too broke to afford lunch  or that gas cylinder that we use to cook.

This all sounds too far-fetched, huh?Let me give you an example you can identify with.Remember yesterday when it rained in Nairobi and how the fares were arbitrarily hiked?As you were boarding that matatu the conductor most probably called you, kairetu, nyarwa or baba or for our brothers it was modo wakwa,wuodwa or tata.I am pretty sure that even though you were from the same tribe, you paid just as much as those from the other tribes.

I was thinking about this the other day and I realized that I have very few friends from my tribe.My closest girlfriends are Chelagat, Kwambai, Wanjiru ,Ilagosa, Wangeci ,Onono, Zawadi,Amwayi,Lugalia,Murumba.My male friends are Mbago,Kiprop,Luseno,Njenga,Nyambane,Otieno,Angwenyi.The list is endless,but I hope you get the picture.These people are the world to me,  if we were to turn against each other,I don’t think that even a whiff of my scent would remain.

Wakenya tuchanuke. Tupendane na tuishi kwa umoja,amani na upendo.Sisi ndio wenye nchi.We should protect each other from these vultures ,who shake hands and smile at each other when they meet then send GSU troops to maim and kill us when we are fighting each other to defend them.Our country’s economy  is in the worst state ever, let us work hard to better ourselves.I regret to inform you that no matter your tribe, we are all in the same boat.We either struggle to stay afloat or prepare to perish when it sinks.This is my two cents worth.

IT IS MY CHOICE.IT IS YOUR CHOICE. TUCHANUKE.

 Enjoy the video from the link below. It sums up all I have said in a beautiful melody.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKqozV66zoA

MIGHT PAULA KAHUMBU BE THE MODERN DAY WANGARI MAATHAI?

I sit scrolling my twitter timeline and I come across tweets from political and opinion leaders.The tweets get me thinking about what it means to have leaders, and i use this term loosely, who actually put the interests of the public first.
Immediately,my doors of my memory bank open and I remember the late Professor Wangari Maathai(God rest her soul).She once told her fellow members of Parliament that she was ready to surrender her parliamentary seat to safeguard Kenyan forests. And safeguard she did, to the point where she shed her blood in the Karura Forest in 1999, leading a group of concerned citizens into a confrontation with thugs hired by developers who were trying to grab the forest.
The late Wangari Maathai worked so hard to ensure that the policies(formulated by parliament)regarding the environment where natural resources are used to meet the needs of the present and future generations.She showed us that the government's interests and the wider public interests are not always as aligned as they are supposed to be .
Its up to people of good will to take up public interest issues that are dear to them and ensure that the government respects the wishes of those who put them in office.We have a shortage of such people,but there is one lady who sticks out like a sore thumb(in a good way of course).
Paula Kahumbu is her name.She is the Executive Director of the Kenya Land Conservation Trust and WildlifeDirect, and chairman of the Friends of Nairobi National Park.Kahumbu is well known in Kenya for her infectious passion for conservation and animals. She believes in the development of Kenya, but not at the cost of the environment. She is currently spearheading a campaign to ensure that the developments in infrastructure in Nairobi do not compromise the wildlife of Nairobi National Park, which would destroy one of Nairobi’s most important assets. Her conviction is that the park is integral to the value of the city, and she has persuaded many organizations, including KWS, International Livestock Research Institute, African Wildlife Foundation, the Wildlife Foundation, African Conservation Centre, The Friends of Nairobi National Park, The Kenya Land Conservation Trust, WildlifeDirect, private land owners and many others, to conduct an ecosystem-wide wildlife census that will help guide the decisions taken by the Ministry of Transport regarding the controversial Greater Southern Bypass.
She started her amazing work in the late 1980s and she continues to spearhead important movements where she was able to discover the disturbing trend of wildlife losses, and that vultures and lions were being poisoned by communities who live close to national parks.
You can read more about her good works on her website http://paulakahumbu.com/, but let me just say that I think she is an extra ordinary lady and that I wish her the very best in her various endeavours.