| Media and the Common Good |
Media seeks to be consulted on lawsInput from media organisations should be sought before legislation affecting their operations is formulated. Standard Group Editorial Director Mr Kwendo Opanga made the remarks at Strathmore University where he was a guest speaker at the university’s annual conference on ethics. He asked that the media’s views be included in any legislation that touches the sector. Opanga cited the proposed law on regulation of opinion polls and the Media Bill, which were essentially meant at controlling the media. He added that the media had an active lobby, The Media Council of Kenya, which should be consulted at all times. This year’s topic was on "Media and the Common Good". Opanga tackled the areas of change, responsibility and legislation. The university’s Deputy Vice-chancellor, Mr Joseph Sevilla, said the university had introduced ethics in all disciplines taught at the institution. He said the application of ethics in all areas lead to a better society. The Nation Media Group Editorial Director, Mr Wangethi Mwangi, also addressed the meeting that was attended by 2005 Pulitzer Prize winner, Dele Olojede. Wangethi said the media must go out of its way to tell stories that serve the public good, even though they may hurt some individuals. He gave the example of the Githongo dossier of the Anglo Leasing scandals that let the people to know the kind of leaders they elected. He added that the media is capable of self-regulation. Olojede said even though the media can be used to foster common good, it also could be used for wrong purposes. He gave the example of the Rwanda genocide. He said that the media was under-capitalised and unable to withstand economic pressures, making it open to manipulation — especially by advertisers. Source: The Standard |