Page 66 - MANDERA-COUNTY- THE 2019 MAGAZINE

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Kenya Editors Guild President Churchill
Otieno with council members in a town hall
meeting with residents of Mandera.
Media meets the people

The Kenya Editors’ Guild’s recent visit The team was on a fact-finding mis-
to Mandera was one of its kind, as it set sion on how the locals gauge the me-
a new pedestal on which subsequent dia, their reactions on various media
office-bearers will use as a barometer products and dissatisfactions they feel
to gauge their level of interaction with need to be addressed by the media.
the people at the grassroots. Among the issues that emerged
strongly during the session was that of
The visit, the first in the vast northern the locals complaining of being side-
region of the country, provided a rare lined by media houses, as no single
opportunity for the residents of the media house has an outlet in Mandera.
expansive county to have a one-on-
one interaction with senior media On his part Governor Ali Roba noted
personalities. that the county was being forced to
The editors pitched camp in the source for media coverage from Nairo-
sweltering heat of Mandera town bi whenever there was a function in the
with the sole view of interacting area. He appealed to the Media Coun-
with residents and enlightening cil to advocate for the establishment of
them on the media’s role. media outlets in the county.
Other than interacting with the The Governor noted that Mandera had
locals, the Guild’s president a huge potential in many fronts which
Churchill Otieno said the public have not been highlighted as most me-
forum was quite necessary as dia houses concentrate on negative
most of the arid and semi-arid parts aspects such as terrorism, which had
of Kenya have for many years been impacted badly on the county.
marginalised and have never really “For us to compete on a level ground
known the media’s role. with other counties, it is imperative that
“The Guild is determined to build the positive aspects of the county be
public confidence in the media. We highlighted. Negative publicity has
entertain, disseminate information and greatly affected us as a county and this
educate - a major role - it is important needs to stop.” .
that the people trust what we offer.”
Face-to-face with journalists
Spare us the negative Women suffer a lot
publicity. There is a in silence. It is our
lot of good to report husbands, sons
on Mandera... we are or nieces who are
victims of terrorism, radicalized or desert
a global problem. families to join militants.