Bringing sense to the airwaves

Bringing sense to the airwaves

T

he timing of the morning shows is itself ill. As far as I am concerned, morning should be dedicated to information. Read the newspaper, check the diary, going to work and building the nation.

BY MUSYOKA NGUI

            Listening to local FM stations in the morning can be embarrassing to the family today. One wonders why the presenters flout basic professional codes of conduct and ethics. Then again where is the enforcer of the journalistic ethics? Is it a toothless dog that only barks without biting?

On May 20 2014 the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) released a report detailing the conduct of FM stations tilted Free Speech or Cheap Talk? The report unearthed shocking revelations about our local radio broadcasters.

Among other findings which the respondents voiced complaints include blatant disregard of professional ethics, poor quality of moderation by show hosts, inappropriate topical discussions and generally uncontrolled interaction from callers.

54 per cent of the respondents admitted obscenity existed because of uncontrolled interaction of callers. 58 per cent said that the discussions were not constructive, developmental or serious enough to inform policy issues in the society. 55 per cent of the respondents contend that the shows were loaded with racial, religious and ethnic stereotypes and were disrespectful of sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance and social status.

40 per cent were not aware that they could lodge complaints with the MCK touching on professionalism and ethics. The MCK is yet to do enough civic education to sensitize Kenyans on its mandate.

Instructively, most commercial radio stations dwelled on controversial topics bordering on emotions, sensationalism and borrowed heavily from entertainment, lifestyle and relationships.

That the morning radio hosts condone obscenity to run in their programmes shows the level of rot in our social moral fabric. Our society is decomposing. We have justified cheating as cool and okay. We think the only insane person in the traffic jam is the one who is following the traffic rules. The morally upright youth are shunned for practicing sexual purity. The result? High levels of corruption and sexually transmitted diseases. A society without a conscience. We don’t feel guilty of our sins. We are evil.

The rates of divorce are on the rise because the casual cheating has crossed over to the bedroom. Family units are falling apart, effectively demolishing the base of the Kenyan society. And morning radio show hosts are to blame for a large part of this moral decadence.

We have become a nation of liars. We are fake. Our religious leaders have not helped much. They occasionally get caught pants down with the flock in very compromising positions. Remember the Embu case? Sure, none of us is holier than thou but we should have a standard. In our case, anything goes. That is our bane; mediocrity.

Constitutionally, no one should be discriminated but the morning shows are loaded with innuendoes of segmenting our society tribally, religiously and regionally. Is the media making us hate each other? Is it time we scrap the morning shows?

The timing of the morning shows is itself ill. As far as I am concerned, morning should be dedicated to information. Read the newspaper, check the diary, go to work and build the nation. Then after hours you can come home and have entertainment. Preferably, after 10pm the breakfast type conversation can be unleashed to couples who at such time need intimate atmosphere and light humor to wind down day’s stress and fatigue.

But tell me why on earth do the radio stations torment little children and their shy parents with sex talk as they go to school and work. How the hell are your previous night’s sexual escapades going to solve the traffic snarl ups the kids and parents get caught up in the morning?

Mark you 61 per cent of the respondents told MCK that the discussions influence listeners’ general perceptions and thinking. This shows the media is very powerful-especially the radio which has thus far the highest level of penetration in the society.  The radio broadcasters are abusing the power they wield.

The media should set agenda and inform discussions in the society by giving accurate and reliable researched based information. But when the callers and show hosts resort to trivial and non- issues we have missed the point. The media lacks sense.  Journalists of morning shows do not make sense of the events that surround their work.

No wonder 78 per cent of the respondents believed that the callers were paid to express sensational sentiments and whip up emotive debates. Again, 48 per cent of the respondents said that some comments on talk shows were unverified and false. This calls into question the credibility of the FM radio stations. The fact that a paltry 24 per cent appreciated the discussion on morning radio breakfast shows that the radio lacked sense and reliable information to advice public and private policy issues. On that score, the traditional role of the mass media to inform is dealt a death blow.

Despite hiring quacks who masquerade as comedians, the radio managers have not managed to tickle the funny bone of the listener. Only 31 per cent of the respondents liked the radio humor.  The unprofessional quacks not only degrade the quality of radio journalism but also insult majority of Kenyan professional journalists who enjoy respect in Africa and the world at large.

It is important that the practicing journalists read and understand the professional codes of conduct for journalism and endeavor to uphold high moral ground for the society. The Fourth Estate is the conscience of the society. The mass media are light and the remaining moral compass of the society.

The writer is a student of Bachelors of Arts Degree in Communication and Media at Chuka University and an attaché at Kenya News Agency Kitui Bureau. He blogs at musyokangui.blogspot.com

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