MCK Turns On Media Houses' Coverage of Death Of Priest At Lodging
The MCK relied on analysis conducted by the council which is subjected to the test of empathy, intrusion into grief and shock and the "Do no harm" principle.
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The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) on Tuesday, July 11 claimed that the media may have presented false facts regarding a Catholic priest who served at St. Peter's Church in Ruai, Nairobi, who died at a hotel room in Gatanga, Murang'a County.
The media regulator had in a statement noted with concern the media coverage of the circumstances leading to the death of the man of God, 43-year-old Joseph Kariuki Wanjiru, who was reportedly in the company of a woman who was alleged to be his lover before the incident occurred on Saturday morning, July 8.
The MCK relied on analysis conducted by the council which is subjected to the test of empathy, intrusion into grief and shock and the "Do no harm" principle.
The late St. Peter's Catholic Church-Ruai parish priest Fr. Joseph Kariuki. /TWITTER
"It has shown that most of the coverage in both mainstream and social media was unprofessional, unnecessarily intrusive, and lacks common decency as provided for in the Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism in Kenya," stated MCK CEO, David Omwoyo.
The Council further accused the media of using sensational words and derogatory terms, terming the move as insensitive and uncalled for, violating the dignity of the subjects involved, and resulting in the invasion of the individual's privacy.
"A review of the media coverage shows inconsistencies in reporting facts of the story, sensational headlines, and breaches of the code of conduct on accuracy & fairness, integrity, accountability, obscenity, taste, and tone," added Omwoyo.
According to MCK, the Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism in Kenya requires that in cases involving personal grief and shock, inquiries shall be made with sensitivity and discretion.
Journalists shall furthermore present news with integrity, and common decency and respect the dignity of the audience as well as the subject of news.
"The Council advises that as the media continues to cover the story, caution must be taken to protect the dignity of individuals involved and adherence to expected professional practices at all times," added the statement.
MCK's statement was seen as a response to sentiments by Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ezekiel Mutua who called out a leading TV station over its report on the death of the priest.
The former Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) boss was irked by a headline which read "Nzi afia kidondani", a Swahili statement which, loosely translated in English, refers to "fly dies in the wound", in reference to the report which made headlines on social media on Sunday, July 9.
He called out the TV station over its unprofessionalism in its headline regarding the priest's demise, arguing that no dead person should be subjected to such ridicule.
"You can't mock a dead person that way no matter the cause of his death. It wouldn't have been any better if he died in an accident," he stated in part.
Mutua argued that Kariuki was a respected human being with family members mourning his unfortunate death.
He further implored the media house, which he did not name, to issue a public apology and for journalists to be trained to better report similar cases in the future.
The media house responsible was yet to issue a statement by the time of publishing this story.
