The CBS FM Gutter Journalism

I wish to implore our radio stations to make conscious efforts towards professional broadcasting and to as much as possible not let the sentiments of their staff and owners get in the way of this. They owe professionalism to their, industry, profession, listeners as well as their advertisers who are targeting a stable and peaceful society for their markets. This opinion has been prompted by the morning press reviews of 30th July on the controversial CBS FM. While reviewing The New Vision’s story about the Speaker of parliament blocking motions on the recent arrests of Mengo officials, the presenter gave his listeners the impression that only the motion of NRM MPs seeking to commend the police’s role in this matter was proposed.

The presenter also went on to mention the name of Mary Okurut as one of those mentioned in the newspaper story to be a promoter of this motion. Hon. Okurut was not mentioned in the story but also, the motion backed by some NRM MPs was not the only one in the same article. MP Issa Kikungwe also had a motion condemning the arrests rejected by the Speaker. The glaring lopsidedness and inaccuracies in the review of this particular article, meant to show that the sentiments of CBS are the only popular ones is, to say the least, the lowest one can go down the path of poor broadcasting professionalism and ethics. The fact that this programme is quite well sponsored and advertised on also shows how complacent and careless our corporations are about the health of their business environment. It takes years to build a good business base but only hours to dismantle it thanks to public unrest caused by misdirected sentiments. Our brothers and sisters in the broadcasting industry must learn that their own survival professionally and privately is in professional and objective practice. If only the media in Kenya had sent out their messages of unity long before the civil unrest that caused so much pain and damage had started …