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"id": 216373,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/216373/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "[The Vice-President andMinister for Home Affairs]",
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"speaker": {
"id": 195,
"legal_name": "Raila Amolo Odinga",
"slug": "raila-odinga"
},
"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in recent times, we have seen excesses with the freedom of the media. During the referendum, this country was polarised practically on ethnic grounds when FM stations came out and, in many cases, they were setting one tribe against another in the name of freedom. We do need to have a responsible media because we have seen examples of uncontrolled media. Not very far from us - in Congo and, particularly, in Rwanda - nearly half a July 3, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2177 million people died because they were incited through the media. We normally see at the front pages of various newspapers a pledge to be \"frank and fair\". But, indeed, when you read them, you will find that there is very little fairness. The media has attempted many times to bring hostility here by being against a particular leader or against a particular community in the name of freedom. The proposed media council needs to be very responsible. That is where people will be appealing to. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am quite concerned with the family values and the way we bring up our children. The newspapers, journals, television and radios are now open to the children. I want to cite an example of a case where a man was found with somebody's wife somewhere in Mombasa. They were committing adultery and, naturally, members of the public were angry at them. They stripped the man and the woman naked and walked them in the streets. Their pictures were taken and displayed in a newspaper. It may be a question of freedom. But imagine the traumatic experience the children of that man and woman went through. One is not excusing the act of adultery, but is that a reason to scar the children of those two people for the rest of their lives? We have had cases where children have been assaulted. Our girls have been assaulted by people and that has been depicted graphically by the media. They go by the word: The need to know!\" But the need to know does not give a licence to destroy lives. There has to be some decorum. In many countries of the world where people practise responsible media, all those things do happen. There are people who assault children. But that is never shown graphically as it is done here. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the media has been used to promote certain people, even when we know that those people have qualities on the surface, and they know it. It is important that we do not talk about controlling or muzzling the media. Let us talk about regulating the media. We want to make the media responsive to what is happening. The public in this country is very gullible, indeed. We have seen cases where the headline is saying one thing and when you read inside, there is no co-relation whatsoever! Of course, when the media destroys somebody's character and they are told to withdraw and apologise, they allow time to pass. Then, they will put such an apology in very small print in the middle of the newspaper. Then they go home and sleep peacefully because they say they have fulfilled the obligation they had under the law. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, we need responsible journalism where reports will be factual. Many times, journalists have attended public meetings and leaders have been quite clear and spoken honestly. But what is written thereafter is not what the leaders said. It will be an opinion of what the journalist wanted the leader to say. Many times, we have seen cases where people have gone with already pre-written statements in public meetings, so that they can mislead the public completely. Some of us have come to learn that you cannot win against the media. But you may complain. But when members of the public or leaders complain, the media hides between the word \"misquoted\". When we ask the media to be responsible, they will, indeed, become responsible later, so that they can find it an honour to actually write, publish or broadcast only the truth. We would like members of the media and the public to know that all what this Government requires is a responsible media. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}