Media Council of Kenya Chief Executive Officer (CEO) David Omwoyo, speaking. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) will from Friday this week roll-out a media literacy programme aimed at building the capacity of practicing journalists in a move aimed at addressing the problem fake news.
The first phase of the six months program is also envisioned to equip the news consumers with necessary information that will help them discern fake news from genuine reportage.
The programme will target learning institutions, faith-based organizations and media houses across the country.
While addressing journalists in Kisumu on Thursday, Media Council of Kenya Chief Executive Officer (CEO) David Omwoyo said that fake news was a new and rapidly emerging issue in various newsrooms warning that if not speedily addressed will spiral out of control and taint the once touted media profession.
Omwoyo observed that social media and online based news frontiers were the hardest hit by menace as they harbored thousands of writers and bloggers practicing irresponsible journalism with the protection of anonymity.
The mainstream media, Omwoyo also noted has consistently suffered a similar brunt with the aim of getting news scoops adding that it was imperative for a journalist to launch their profession on a transformative path by fostering extensive research and intensive verification of sources.
News consumers, Omwoyo stated needed to be wary of parody social media accounts revealing that they have largely infiltrated the online platform hence compromising the credibility of news.
Omwoyo further put a red alert on journalist out in the field practicing journalism without duly being accredited by the MCK warning that the council will take punitive action against them.
In a bid to address the surging crisis, Omwoyo stated that the council will be publishing monthly editions of fake news perpetuators adding that an updated version of Code of Conduct of Journalists is set to be released with Acts dealing with fake news.