African government have been challenged to give media houses freedom to enable journalists play the key role of informing society.
Preside over the official opening of the Eastern Africa Journalists’ Summit at Stanley Hotel Nairobi, Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) boss Francis Atwoli urged the African government to provide conducive environment to media.
“Freedom of the media workers on issues either on investigative or issues that are related to leadership and so on must be supported. Because its only through journalists that we are able to unearth every corner of our society,” he said.
He told delegates that they must embrace Information Technology and that theymust continue working for a peaceful Kenya and Eastern Africa.
The Annual Media Summit is a regional meeting of media practitioners and stakeholders to deliberate on pertinent issues affecting the sector this years theme being ‘Standing united for media freedom and better working conditions’.
It is an opportunity, to discuss and decide and also reward and recognize practitioners’ achievements in promoting a professional, free and independent media.
The Media Council of Kenya convenes the media sector working group with the aim of improving professionalism and networking in the media industry in Kenya.
The working group that brings together several media professional groups and support institutions, has developed an industry-led approach to ensure the media plays a critical role in the national development discourse in general, and on government’s agenda four.
At the regional level, the MCK is a member of the East Africa Media Summit since its nomination in 2014 as the lead agency in the preparations for the East African Community Media Summit and development of the Media Protocol for the East Africa Community.
The Council has already developed a draft protocol and convened a number of media summits in Kenya.
Through the Council, Kenya has been providing a leadership role in ensuring that media and communication policies in the region offer an opportunity for Kenya to set the agenda for regionalization and development in the sector.
In view of this, the Council is organising a 3-day media summit coupled with a few high level debates, which will culminate into the journalist of the year award.
The summit will entail a conference or a symposium and will aim at taking stock of progress by the industry and challenges thereof 8 years since the Constitution of Kenya 2010 took effect.
The event also presents the sector with an opportunity to discuss and decide and also reward and recognize practitioners’ achievements in promoting a professional, free and independent media.
In concrete terms: the summit seeks to provide a forum for the industry to relook into its performance towards enhancing national development amidst claims by the Government that the media has abdicated its responsibility and that it is riddled with unprofessionalism.
It aims at enhancing knowledge on media viability stimulating debate on the same, examine media regulation in a changing environment especially with the onset of online content access, fake news and the role of new technology in media.
The summit will attract participants from Kenya, and from around East Africa and will comprise of independent media institutions, media managers, media owners and entrepreneurs; media development practitioners, media educators, scholars, trainers and students; telecommunications industries, CSOs, donors, embassies, government ministries/agencies, international media organizations and the Kenya public.