Journalists from Migori County marked the World Press Freedom Day Monday, with a charity visit to Good Samaritan children’s home in Suna East Sub-County.
Celebrating the day under the theme, Shaping the Future for Peace in a Quest to Fight for Their Rights, the scribes however expressed concern about their freedom, which they lamented is being infringed on, as they go about their duties across the country.
Led by their chair, George Juma from Royal Media Services, the journalists operating under the Migori Journalists Association umbrella, stated that media freedom is still not fully realized, despite the many constitutional guarantees embedded in the 2010 Kenya’s best Constitution.
Juma cited that most institutions are still inaccessible and that most journalists are still intimidated into shaping their stories from a certain angle.
“Journalists are not yet free, while carrying out their normal duties. Sometimes it’s difficult for us to keep our professional obligations,” he remarked.
The chair added that journalists cannot actually work in isolation, requiring pulling of resources from partners and the government to drive a meaningful change.
Emily Otieno, a correspondent from Dala FM, underscored the need for media houses to prioritize paying journalists well, pointing out that journalism is a profession, where workers can go without a salary for months with little advocacy for their welfare.
She also advised her fellow journalists to consider signing formal employment contracts before working with any media house to make it easier for follow up by the Department of Labour when need arises.
Otieno also called on the government of the day to consider settling their outstanding arrears owed to the media houses, arguing that this would improve the financial stability of the institutions and ensure journalists are paid on time.
The government should settle the arrears it owes media houses to enable them to be able to pay journalists on time,” she advised.
Additionally, a reporter from Arise Radio, Peter Ongesa underscored the editorial challenges journalists face, especially when media houses align with political interests or prioritise advertisers.
He noted that such pressures can compromise journalistic independence and hinder objective reporting.
“Some media houses have already aligned themselves with certain political interests or advertisers to maximize their profits, compromising journalists’ editorial positions and making it almost impossible for media houses to achieve their obligations,” Ongesa noted.
Norma Achieng, a reporter from Kenya broadcasting cooperation noted that journalists in Kenya, particularly in Migori County are already living in fear because of the continuous political unrest in the county, where sometimes journalists are caught in volatile situations urging these political leaders to maturely coexist with each other, regardless of their political differences.
“Journalists are frequently caught in the middle of political unrest, and we are sometimes forced to take sides, a move which has always undermined ethical standards of reporting. Therefore, politicians must always strive to create a conducive working environment for journalists,” she added.
During the occasion, the Director of Good Samaritan Children’s home, Peter Ouma, appreciated the gesture from the Migori Journalist Association, adding that everyone has always walked to journalists to help them realize their rights, but no one ever talks about the rights of journalists.
“Journalists should now wake up and aggressively ask for their rights to better their welfare. Their rights have always been overlooked for decades, despite them fighting for the rights of other stakeholders at different capacities,” said Ouma.
By Beryl Akinyi and George Agimba
