Council orf Governors
Council of Governors members. FILE

 

Media Council faults Council of Governors for announcing to cease all advertising with the Nation Media Group after a graft story they said paints them as “corrupt". 


This was after the CoG, in a memo signed by Wycliffe Oparanya, asked all governors to stop advertising with the Nation Media house until further notice.



“There has been a calculated effort by the media to accuse Governors and define them as corrupt and cartel, incompetent and unable to run their counties especially by the Nation Media Group as evidenced in the Daily Nation Newspaper headline of 8th September 2020, captioned ‘Eight Governors on graft hit list’,” read the statement.



“Therefore in the meeting, it was concluded that henceforth, no County Government shall advertise with the Nation Media Group merchandise until the state is corrected. I urge all County Governments to immediately discontinue engaging with NMG merchandise and advise the county officers about this until further notice.”



The Media Owners Association and the Media Council criticised the move by the governors saying it was an effort to threaten and browbeat the media house into prostration and urged them to reconsider.



“The attempt by CoG to use financial leverage to influence editorial outcomes is not only unacceptable but also ill-advised in constitutional freedom that promotes freedom of media and transparency in public institutions,” said the MoA in a letter signed by Royal Media Services CEO Wachira Waruru who is also the chairman.



Mr Waruru advised the governors to use the proper ways to give their complaints and avoid their “one-sided and rushed move that has the potential of setting a bad example.”


The Media Council of Kenya asked the CoG to confer their grievances to the Media Complaints Commission for resolution and suitable action.



“While the MCK respects the CoG’s right to express its views and opinions on the media, it wishes to clarify that the media in Kenya is co-regulated by the government and media stakeholders as outlined in the Media Council Act of 2013. The basis of this regulation is the Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism in Kenya whose provisions are very clear,” reads the statement signed by CEO David Omwoyo.

 

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