Journalists covering an event. (photo/standard)
Free media is a mark of a true democracy. One of the fundamental rights of individuals in a society is the right to express themseves without fear of any reprisal.
Yet with this freedom comes the need for responsibility as unchecked freedom can land societies in deep trouble as was the case in Rwanda in 1994 when hate messages were spread using media outlets in the country.
That is why I feel that we should laud our Kenyan media for exercising extreme restraint as they reported incidents during the 2017 elections. I strongly believe that had one or two people been irresponsible to highlight some of the gory images from our backyards, the country would have ended in the dogs.
This is not to say that no evil occured in our midst. To hide that evil would be to disrespect the victims. However, there must be something called 'public good' which overrides individual freedoms.
For this reason, we should laud our media for trying hard to strike a balance between freedom of the media and the overall rights of individuals.
It is quite clear that the 2007/08 experience provided vital lessons for the nation. There were accusations that sections of the media may have fueled the crisis during this period leading to a situation that shook the very foundation of the nation.
Media houses were not spared from the loses that followed, bringing them to the reality of the cost of war.
The only challenge has been the unregulated social media which provide avenues for rogue individuals to propagate their hate messages.
Attempts to regulate the social media have been challenging. There is an airs width between freedom of expression and responsible use of social forums.
All said and done, one is left with a feeling that there are gains made in the media being responsible for the sake of our nation.