The Master of Arts in Digital Journalism programme alumni, student and faculty held a webinar that aimed to address the role of policy, satire and images of death in the coverage of Covid-19. This is the second webinar that has been conducted by the Graduate School of Media and Communications that aims to address the challenges and opportunities in the media and communications sector.
The webinar dubbed Covering Covid-19: From policy to satire to images of death, discussed the role of images and satire in reporting on the pandemic, challenges facing the media and the future of journalism.
Joe Odindo, a communications consultant noted that the media has a crucial role in informing the public on the pandemic and holding the government accountable. He however stated that the media has not done enough to show the severity of Covid-19. He acknowledged that there is a place for gory pictures and that they should be used in instances where the media is trying to save lives. “It is not about showing the images of the dead or stigmatizing the sick. It is about being creative in the angles that the media teases out daily. Personalizing the coverage will make it more impactful.”
John Ngirachu, Senior Writer at Oxygène MCL, acknowledged that there has been a lack of creativity in the coverage of the pandemic, which he largely blamed on the lack of access to information on the pandemic. “Media coverage has been hampered by the government’s bureaucratic tendencies to democratize access to information, a responsibility that has previously been handled by the media.”
The panelists noted that the pandemic has hastened a transition in the media industry that was long overdue. Joe advised the media to create value by selling content and diversifying on digital platforms in order to cater to a new generation of consumers.
The webinars will see GSMC support a wider vision as it engages various stakeholders. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 4 puts emphasis on inclusive and quality education for all and the promotion of lifelong learning. In support of the Kenya Vision 2030 also, GSMC continues to invest in the improvement of the quality of media practitioners through its programs, some of which are designed specifically for the media fraternity. It is committed to keeping the knowledge discourse alive among media practitioners, and in so doing hopes to help contribute to quality training and nurturing of seasoned media practitioners.
Other speakers: Patrick Gathara (Freelance columnist), Kenneth Kipruto (Sub-editor, The Standard Group) and Mercy Adhiambo (Features Writer, The Standard Newspaper).
The Master of Arts in Digital Journalism programme alumni, student and faculty held a webinar that aimed to address the role of policy, satire and images of death in the coverage of Covid-19. This is the second webinar that has been conducted by the Graduate School of Media and Communications that aims to address the challenges and opportunities in the media and communications sector.
The webinar dubbed Covering Covid-19: From policy to satire to images of death, discussed the role of images and satire in reporting on the pandemic, challenges facing the media and the future of journalism.
Joe Odindo, a communications consultant noted that the media has a crucial role in informing the public on the pandemic and holding the government accountable. He however stated that the media has not done enough to show the severity of Covid-19. He acknowledged that there is a place for gory pictures and that they should be used in instances where the media is trying to save lives. “It is not about showing the images of the dead or stigmatizing the sick. It is about being creative in the angles that the media teases out daily. Personalizing the coverage will make it more impactful.”
John Ngirachu, Senior Writer at Oxygène MCL, acknowledged that there has been a lack of creativity in the coverage of the pandemic, which he largely blamed on the lack of access to information on the pandemic. “Media coverage has been hampered by the government’s bureaucratic tendencies to democratize access to information, a responsibility that has previously been handled by the media.”
The panelists noted that the pandemic has hastened a transition in the media industry that was long overdue. Joe advised the media to create value by selling content and diversifying on digital platforms in order to cater to a new generation of consumers.
The webinars will see GSMC support a wider vision as it engages various stakeholders. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 4 puts emphasis on inclusive and quality education for all and the promotion of lifelong learning. In support of the Kenya Vision 2030 also, GSMC continues to invest in the improvement of the quality of media practitioners through its programs, some of which are designed specifically for the media fraternity. It is committed to keeping the knowledge discourse alive among media practitioners, and in so doing hopes to help contribute to quality training and nurturing of seasoned media practitioners.
Other speakers: Patrick Gathara (Freelance columnist), Kenneth Kipruto (Sub-editor, The Standard Group) and Mercy Adhiambo (Features Writer, The Standard Newspaper).