Media should not be fooled by those seeking elective posts

 ‘A leopard cannot change its spots’ is a common saying meaning that a person’s character does not really change no matter how hard they try.

The idiom comes from the Bible, and more specifically Jeremiah 13:23. In addition, there is an English idiom that ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. This broadly suggests that one should not prejudge the worth or value of something by its outward appearance alone.

I use these idioms to illustrate the recent developments in some characters, impression managers and ‘confidence tricksters’ seeking to use the media for strategic political communication and power seeking.

This especially applies to current Nairobi Senator and Jubilee Party’s gubernatorial nominee Mike Mbuvi aka Sonko whose appearance on Citizen TV’s JKLive show on May 3 seem to have convinced some (including those who have dismissed him before as a political clown!) that he has changed, and that he is now electable given his demeanor and performance.

Ready to engage

In the programme, Sonko appeared to have shed his former bad-boy ‘demeanour’ for a new look characterised by calmness, ‘sophistication’, et cetera. For once, Sonko demonstrated that he is ‘interviewable’ and capable of remaining calm even under the ‘intense pressure’ of ‘tough’ questioning.

This time he came out as prepared, calm and ready to engage although he was, mostly, unsophisticated in his responses particularly when asked about matters relating to policy, and evasive when dealing with questions about his source of wealth, and drug dealing.

Without a doubt, there was a significant (superficial or cosmetic, however) change from the Sonko that was interviewed by Hussein Mohammed on March 19 during which he was narcissistic, loud, thuggish and obnoxious.

Decades of mismanagement

Kudos to the changed man and his coaches, off-screen handlers, and groomers involved in body, image and appearance, impression and perception management. Yet, as we ‘celebrate’ and romanticise the ‘new’ Sonko, we ought to interrogate the intrinsic character of a man who may become the governor of Kenya’s capital Nairobi and the consequences of that thought.

Some people are, as expected, aghast at the mere thought that Sonko can take over a city whose challenges require a sophisticated mind, management skills and talents to turn around a city suffering from decades of mismanagement and five years of rape by an inept Governor seemingly out of his depth when dealing with the affairs of the county and its challenges (and opportunities).

Thus, we may ask whether the ‘new’ and ‘suave’ Sonko is an ‘authentic’ self and if his metamorphosis can really change the spots that are inherent in his character?

This is often because mediated persona can be, according to media scholar Daniel Boorstin, ‘fabricated on purpose to satisfy our exaggerated expectations’ particularly of politicians whose demagoguery and chicanery are well documented and known. It is (rather) easy to see that Sonko’s changing brand and appearance and the claim to a new ‘real’ are largely a misnomer.

Various articles on the ‘new’ Sonko offer food for thought.

Macharia Gaitho’s commentary in the Nation on May 5 was headlined ‘Sonko ups bid for governor job with new image’.

An article in the Standard was headlined ‘Sonko ‘fresh’ - Nairobi Senator undergoes metamorphosis as top City Hall job beckons’.

Another article in the same paper had ‘If Sonko can get that makeover, you too can... and this is how’.

Help us think

The narrative in the articles was almost the same: the JKLive episode marked a watershed in the changing character of Sonko.

To be fair, Gaitho raised pertinent questions relating to the role of the media in priming and preparing interviewees and potential political leaders prior to media appearances.

His article posited that Sonko was “clearly prepared for all that the interviewer would throw his way, and most likely had rehearsed his answers in advance.

But that also raised the question whether Mr Jeff Koinange had helped Mr Sonko prepare by sharing the questions in advance, and maybe also priming him at rehearsals.”

In essence, should we judge people based on their apparent media preparedness? Can such media preparedness and priming help us make sense of (previously ‘unattractive’) politicians and what they believe in, their character, values, etc.?

Leaders may pretend

Such questions should help us think about and question the public persona of mediated politicians and leaders.

Granted, the notion that politicians employ impression, perception, image and news managers is worrying enough particularly as we seek to elect honest, competent, accountable, and responsible leaders.

There is more to superficial makeovers and media constructions of people.

We need to seriously interrogate politicians’ intrinsic character and leadership credentials as a way of helping the public’s perception and understanding of their current and (potential) leaders. Regrettably, we can see how the media has become implicated in impression and perception management which may inevitably deceive audiences and potential voters.

Whatever metaphors or idioms we use, it is too early to judge Sonko and other candidates merely by their outward, constructed, ‘fabricated’ and mediated looks or appearances.

Often, the essence of someone’s character is based on their ‘authentic’ selves and behaviour away from the glares of cameras and focus of the media.

Mediated persona is hardly enough to determine someone’s character, beliefs, and values.

Besides, there are more important traits of good leadership including honesty, competency, intelligence and others that many of the leaders may pretend to have for the sake of gaining political power.

Accordingly, the media must do more in developing a leadership that is inspiring, skilful, visionary, straightforward, and imaginative.

The writer lectures at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Nairobi.