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Let’s engage on NMG’s journalism
The public editor is charged with ensuring the NMG remains transparent, accessible and accountable to its audiences.
What you need to know:
- The core function of the public editor is to uphold journalistic integrity at NMG.
- Apart from serving as the ombudswoman, the public editor will play a public education role.
Nation Media Group’s first public editor, Dr Peter Mwaura, did a phenomenal job of laying the foundation of this role. Over the past decade, he held journalists at the media house accountable for ethical standards, served as a worthy representative of the public, and was a fierce advocate for journalistic standards and integrity. We thank him and wish him well in his retirement.
In creating the role of public editor in 2015, NMG became one of only a few media houses in Africa to open itself to public scrutiny of its journalism and gave its audiences a chance to be heard. At the time, there were fewer than 100 public editors worldwide, most of whom were based in the Global North.
With shrinking revenues for media houses, the role is increasingly endangered as organisations reduce their staff complement to remain sustainable. Yet, at a time when the ecosystem is proliferated with disinformation and fake news, only media outlets that can inspire trust will retain their readers, listeners, and viewers and remain relevant. One way of earning the trust of audiences is by being transparent and accountable, and providing them an opportunity to interrogate the media house’s journalism.
NMG’s decision to appoint a second public editor is, therefore, a recognition of the impact that genuine and firm ethical oversight and adherence to high journalistic standards have on building public trust. It is also a commitment to self-regulation.
Transparent
Overall, the core function of the public editor is to uphold journalistic integrity at NMG. The public editor is charged with ensuring the NMG remains transparent, accessible and accountable to its audiences, and that it adheres to both its internal editorial standards as well as the Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism set by the Media Council of Kenya.
The role is independent from the Group’s management, allowing the public editor, as a representative of the readers, listeners and viewers across its digital, print and broadcast platforms, a free hand to serve without fear or favour. Its primary responsibility is to handle complaints related to accuracy, fairness, balance and ethical concerns, and to monitor compliance with the Group’s Editorial Policy and Guidelines in content gathering and presentation.
Apart from serving as the ombudswoman, the public editor will play a public education role, helping audiences understand the process of content generation, production and dissemination, norms and responsibilities in a democratic society.
To this end, the public editor will have closer engagement with audiences. I will extend the discussions in the newspapers and websites to television and some social media platforms. I will convene and moderate journalism roundtables to allow NMG’s readers, listeners and viewers to meet and interact with the editors and journalists and to discuss emerging ethical concerns in journalism. I will also advocate inclusive coverage that represents diverse voices and perspectives, and work with the editorial teams to identify and address biases in content and coverage decisions.
Responsible journalists
Will this be a one-woman show? No. I will listen keenly to your complaints and concerns about NMG’s journalism, seek answers and explanations from the responsible editors and journalists, and serve as a fair and independent arbitrator.
Neither will I turn into a newsroom basher. There will be moments when I will defend the journalists from unfounded complaints from the public. But I will boldly call out NMG’s journalists when they step out of line, or go against the media house’s “holy book”, the Editorial Policy and Guidelines, or the national code of conduct.
I will be guided by the values that have formed the foundation of this role for decades—independence, transparency, and accountability. This is the point where I say: So help me God.
Let’s get the conversation going.
[email protected] or call or send a text message to 0721989264