Media practioners’ adherence to the journalistic code of conduct in Uasin Gishu County-Eldoret (Kenya)

Abstract

The media in Kenya was partly to blame for the post-election violence of 2007/2008. Since then, there has been renewed efforts and concern to monitor how the media operates. Despite, the existence of the journalistic code of conduct as a basis for all media activities there have been surging complaints on media. The aim of this study was to establish media practitioners‟ adherence to the journalistic code of conduct in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The study was guided by three objectives; to establish the extent to which journalists perceive the journalistic code of conduct in Uasin Gishu County; determine the extent to which journalists abide by the journalistic code of conduct in Uasin Gishu County; establish the level of editorial independence by journalist in Uasin Gishu County. The study was guided by Hutchins‟ Social Responsibility theory of the press which emphasizes the need for an independent press that scrutinizes other social institutions and provides objective and accurate news reports. Being a mixed method study, it used explanatory sequential design to administer field logistics. This design facilitated collection of quantitative data which informed the qualitative phase. The study had a target population of 26 media houses in Uasin Gishu County from which 10 media houses were purposively sampled. Questionnaires were used to interrogate general perception of reporters while interview schedules were used get detailed information from the editors. Quantitative data collected was analyzed by the help of SPSS version.21 (Descriptive analysis) and presented in form of descriptive tables. Qualitative data collected was presented inform of narratives and themes. The findings of the study reveal that journalists understand the journalistic code of conduct however; profit rather than the journalistic code of conduct determines the stories to be published. The study therefore concludes that there is no uniformity in the implementation of journalistic code of conduct among the various media houses in Uasin Gishu County. The researcher recommends for the need for MCK to initiate ways to delink media owners from management of media houses, MCK to regulate the relationship between advertisers and the media houses, MCK regulate relationship between the county governments and the media and the need for periodical review of salaries for journalists.