Front news in Kenya, June 2009. Photo: Lena Bjørnsen.

Though more than a year has passed since the post-election violence, the newspapers in Kenya still bear witness to tensions that more than often spirals into violence. People in the media business fear that the situation is unlikely to improve when journalists are not trained in reporting conflict. Second chapter of Lena Bjørnsen's eyewitness report from Kenya

Chapter two

By Lena Bjørnsen

Rosemary Okello-Orlale executive director of the Kenya Editors' Guild explains that the Kenyan media is just not used to dealing with conflict.

- Countries in war have a war department in their media house, which embrace all the guidelines that go with war reporting. Here in Kenya conflict is treated like any other story. Incidents are reported separately but not as a part of a conflict, she says.

To the question of how the media is handling conflict today, Rosemary Okello-Orlale immediately answers:

- I don't think they are handling it very well."

The problem is over

A year ago, the call for better training seemed to be heard following the violent events in the aftermath of the parliamentary election. Violent clashes between the police and protesters; blood in the streets as a testimony to the deaths of more than a thousand Kenyans; and half a million fleeing for their life. Pictures of the very visible violence in their own country, served as a dramatic call to the Kenyans to take to any means necessary to restore peace.

Today, the conflict might still be dwelling underneath the surface, but as the actual violence died down, so did the interest in training journalists in handling conflict.

According to Tervil Okoko, chairman of the Kenyan Union of Journalists, the media was highly criticized by the government for inciting to violence during the conflict. Journalist organizations therefore asked for funding to train journalists in conflict sensitive reporting, but as the conflict mellowed down so did the government interest in journalism training:

- They were not interested in funding it, because they said there's no need because there is no more violence. "The problem is over", says Tervil Okoko.

Lack of training

Although last year's experience may have come as a wakeup call to some editors, knowing how to change the traditional routines is still the major barrier.

- Some have learned that it's not good to cause conflict but the knowhow is the problem. How not to do it, is the problem. During the conflict all the media was out there practically turning into preachers -preaching peace. But they didn't give any context in their reporting. They did not know how to handle the two sides, how to handle the conflicting facts. That was a big problem, says Tervil Okoko.

Editors hold the key to improvement

To Rosemary Okello-Orlale, it would have the greatest impact if editors collectively worked together in teaching journalists how to write about conflicts without making the situation worse.

- I think the editors need to make it a part of their policy within the media houses, she says and continues;

- It should be organized, because it brings together editors from across the board. If it is kept within the media house, then it will be tied to just that media house. But if it happens as the media as a whole group, then it will have a greater impact.

The media industry has a responsibility

William Oloo Janak, chairman of the Kenyan Correspondents Association, agrees that the effort should come from within the media houses. During the past year he has facilitated a couple of workshops that lasted a couple of days sponsored by NGO's. But according to him the responsibility should be placed within the national media community.

- Luckily some NGO's have gotten involved, but it's the media industry that needs to get involved. They have a responsibility because they hold the money, he says.

Tervil Okoko is doubtful that the media houses will make room in their budget for special courses on conflict reporting.

- At the end of the day, the media owners want a story that sells the newspaper or catch viewers in the TV. He or she will not be interested in how the money comes. So if you tell him that he has to spend money to make the journalists more sensitive to conflict, he'll say: "Hold on, I still don't have enough money. I'll put it in next year's budget". He will maybe not take it that seriously," he says.

On Friday 26 June, 2009 IMS and its local partners launched a report about the traumas inflicted in journalists following their covering the conflict.