Tragedy of shrinking media space and how country can alter trend

Other panelists at the event- Julia Majale (Managing director Tuko News), Sam Gituku (Senior anchor and TV host Royal Media Services) and Duncan Khaemba (Nation Media journalist and chair of the Kenya Parliamentary Journalists Association) called for greater collaboration and innovation to beat present challenges.

The paper authored by media scholar Prof George Nyabuga assessed the impact of 2022 political transition, public campaign against media by state officials, boycott calls by opposition leadership on certain media products, and government advertisement policy on media freedom.

It also analysed the self-inflicted threats to media freedom arising from newsroom dynamics of the present age, the hostile media economy, digital disruption and the pecuniary hazard to a free press.

The paper recommends stronger solidarity amongst media houses and the greater civil society movement, a thorough review of all legislation violating media freedom and promotion of media literacy to members of the public.

The paper also advocates for the establishment of a media support fund to address pressing financial challenges, enhance media independence and to prevent media capture.

It calls on the government to implement tax exemption or reduction for media enterprises and its products, to disband the Government Advertising Agency, to hold to account state and public officials undermining media freedom, and to prioritise investigation and prosecution of individuals who have attacked journalists.

"We all should, with the government at the forefront, defend press freedom even if we do not agree with what they write. This ought to be the starting point," said Friedrich Naumann Foundation Country Director Stefan Schott.

-The writer is a senior programme manager at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation