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Views and news on peace, justice and reconciliation in Africa

January 1998

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Kenya

Action and contacts

Sky is the limit for Media Institute

The Media Institute (M) is founded in Kenya as non-governmental charitable, not-for-profit professional organisation comprising writers, scholars, journalists and freedom of expression advocates commited to liberal ideas of journalism, human rights and democracy. The institute is dedicated to promoting and defending the freedom of expression and press as well as monitoring standards of journalism in Kenya and East Africa. The goal is to contribute toward an environment in which journalists are free to practice their callling without obstruction or intimidation from the government or any other parties, in keeping with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Background

The Kenya press is one of the most vibrant on the African continent. Yet freedom of expression like many other fundamental human rights is imperilled by combination of legal, administrative and proprietorial interests. As in the case in many parts of Africa elsewhere, the press has a big role to play in nuturing the nascent journalists lack schedule integrity owing to lack of resources. The result has been a dearth of research and documentation of media trends, events, institutions, and phenomenon of journalism in Kenya. The profession is shrinking from political intimidation and harrassment. And given the vast array of coercive resources at the disposal of governments, journalism in Kenya a dicey career.

Objectives

The Media Institute is established with the following objectives.

(i) to serve as a centre for excellence on research, discussion, documentation, dissemination, and exchange of professional ideas; to train and monitor media perfomance.

(ii) to confer awards in recognition of journalistic excellence and creativity in liberal arts,

(iii) to assist journalists, writers and authors to keep in touch with each other and with their counterparts in other parts of the world, and keep abreast with changes in the local and international media.

(iv) to publish regular up to date professional journal or journalism (as a whole or in parts) and review other excellent works in expressive journalistic style,

(v) to serve as a resource pool for scholarship and research,

(v) to publish other research, literature or data either incidental to or in furtherance of the objectives of the institute and to encourage the authorship of books and artiicles as well as the empirical study of journalism,

(vii) to present the Kenyan and African media in all its glory, dimensions, scope, and perspectives as well as encourage the communication of such perspective to the rest of the world,

(viii) to defend, develop and promote the freedom of expression and of the press,

The fund operates as an endowment fund for freedom of expression activities such as research and scholarships for budding journalists. The Institute welcomes cooperation with other international and national bodies.

Back to activity

3. Media monitoring & Avocacy

The institute monitors, investigates and disseminates press freedom information such as occur in Kenya and neighbouring countries. The Institute is involved in monitoring media coverage of the 1997 general elections. Results of this shall be posted on the internet of the Institute's website and be published in the journal, Expression Today a leading forum on freedom of press and media in Kenya. The journal is circulayed to editors of news organisations, government departments, members of parliament, lobby groups, and academic community. The journal is a magazine of record that criticallly appraises the perfomance of the press.

4. Scholarships & Fellowships

The institute hopes to develop a capacity to award study and professional felllowship to enable local journalists experience first-hand the practice of journalism in other countries and foreign journalists to experience the situation od journalism in development setting, by hosting interns, scholars, journalists on an exchange basis. The institute's information centre will also provide information and assistance to international press corps navigting the Kenyan system, and serve as an informal meeting place for media professionals. As part of its capacity building & collaboration, MI will intern volunteers and assist in organising advance research itineraies for visiting scholars provided such activities will not inhibit the avhievement of the goals for which the institute is founded.

5. Resource Services

The institute maintains a small documentation centre where journalists, media scholars author and other researchers may find books and current information on progressive ideas and state of the media in Kenya. The institute intends to set up functioning Resource Centre with an efficient communications network for use by journalists in Kenya. A communication link with the Kenyan government will be established to ensure that incidents of abuse of the press are acted on immediately.

arise and develop into one-stop centre for information on Kenya media. It maintains a register of professional researchers and adjuct scholars on advisory basis.

P.O. BOX 62651 NAIROBI KENYA
e-mail: Medianist inconnect.coke
Tel: 245-2-217082/217209
Fax: 245-2.219768
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