Role of Privately-Owned Media in Enhancing Accountability and Transparency in Democratic States

Abstract

Media alongside other State arms like the Legislature, Judiciary and the Executive is a vital contributor to any nation’s development agenda. Kenya has witnessed rapid increase in the number of private media institutions, among the reasons for this being: the liberalization of the airwaves facilitated by new more democratic leadership regimes. This study sought to establish the contribution of private media in ensuring accountability and transparency among elected leaders. The study was inspired by the fact that, despite of remarkable progress made by the media in spreading and adapting to diversity over the past decade, there are still troubling concerns. There is no political operation space for the free media in the ‘democratic’ countries and further arguments assert that privately-owned media cannot be exempted from damages directed to the jurisdiction of the fourth estate. Grooming a responsible citizenry through objective and critical information is a key responsibility of free media, it is therefore imperative for the media to incorporate the public to exterior elements of societies’ development like a transparent and accountable democratic system. The study was conducted using the qualitative approach and used content analysis method where data was analysed deductively to infer the roles of the media and journalists in enhancing transparency and accountability. The study established that media should adhere to the basic principles that define its position and roles, in national development to understand the existing political structures processes and influence them for the better of the public representation instead. This is because the mass media do not have only have a role to play towards achieving good governance but are themselves components of a good governance structure.