THE HYPOCRISY OF NATION MEDIA GROUP... As the nauseating story of the so-called “secessionist website” continues to grip Northern region and national attention, imagination and excitement under the spell of a thus far disappointingly unprofessional and unscrupulous coverage by the Nation Media Group, the time has come to identify and analyse running threads, themes and patterns that define the national and regional implications of the fictitious and ill intended story. After spending the last few days sifting through the shocking story and interacting with professionals and key stake holders in Northern region, I found that the single most dominant thread, theme and pattern emerging out of the fabricated story run by the Nation Media Group in its print and television wings, more than any other issue is politically motivated, and is centred around a confusion of familiar issues arising out of the recent ethnic clashes and the just concluded general elections in the region. In particular, the story shows that there is a formidable and rising “Garres’ can’t scope all seats” campaign across the political divide which started immediately after the march 2013 general elections and whose wave is spreading like fire among a section of residents in the region ahead of the highly anticipated verdict on a petition challenging the election of Hon. Adan Mohamed Noor as the duly elected Member of Parliament for Mandera North. A section of leaders from a neighbouring county are pursuing a self fulfilling prophecy that has become a nightmare. These people dream of winning an elective seat without participating in a democratic process in Mandera. However their dreams has not only been shattered but has been defeated by the voices of Manderians’ who voted overwhelmingly in support of URP candidates in the March 2013 elections. Their failure to prove that they are indeed victims of electoral injustice before the court is leaving them with few other options for remedy, if any. In anticipation of a possible striking out of their petition before the court, the same group is now embarking on a more treacherous path! Their decisive shift of strategy, is clearly captured by the sickening “secessionist website” story which they have outsourced to the Nation Media Group. A careful analysis of the “secessionist website” story shows that the main objective of the story and which has terribly failed is that of isolating the Garre people from Jubilee government, which they overwhelmingly voted for. By constantly repeating the story, the Nation Media Group is employing what Adolf Hitler’s regime used and that is; “a lie repeated over and over again will look like the truth” Their display of sheer partiality is profoundly disappointing! The Kenyan constitution guarantees freedom of speech and media freedom. It’s however, disheartening to realize that a section of the press it misusing the same rights to advance propagandist agenda whose aim is clear to all and sundry! The Nation Media Group should in particular be ready to shoulder any negative consequences of their mischievousness story. Their story is not only unfair but a huge let down to thousands of viewers in the region, who have expressed their displeasure. It is helpful and indeed necessary for Manderans to respond to the concocted story with comparative wisdom. Of course our ability to deal with the ill intended story is negated not only by the unfortunate fact that our country today is littered with illiterate and treacherous media morons who are ideologically bankrupt despite calling themselves independent but also because we have dangerous political misfits and rank criminals who buy space in some of our supposedly mainstream media groups. This unfortunate “secessionist website” situation explains why many among us now cannot tell the verbatim difference between some opinionated newspaper propaganda and the actual accounts of the “secessionist website” story and this has engendered a kind of dysfunctional ignorance which has turned otherwise well-meaning people into helpless victims of illiterate media morons who would have us believe pure propaganda mongering. It would be naive if not foolish for anyone to think or imagine that my stand against this particular story is informed by anything other than sheer agitation for professionalism in our mainstream media groups. Let us all join hands and ensure sanity returns to our journalists who seem to be the mouth piece of any mad man willing to fill their stomach! by Mohamed Ali, The writer is a law student at the University of Nairobi. Email: mohamedlawyer2017@yahoo
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 12:24:48 +0000
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