By E. Latif
Yesterday’s debate debacle was the most visual proof yet that Bindu Bichenjanga in the local media scene.
Presidential campaign teams, big and small in every sense of the word, snubbed a very well organised national debate. Every day they came up with excuse after another to frustrate the combined efforts of the ‘Big’ media. Let’s face it; those reasons they gave, including the court cases, were not enough to justify ignoring a uniform national platform to debate and share their ideas.
Yet, snub they did.
The big question now is ‘why?’ The notion that the various campaign teams felt the media would be biased against them is hogwash. If there truly was bias against one, then it would be to the benefit of another. That other should have run and milked the free platform. Neither can ‘inadequate consultation’ really hold water because all teams had been communicated to well in advance. Furthermore, the same personalities usually appear for live interviews on radio and TV on shorter notice.
Me thinks the politicians felt emboldened to stick a finger at ‘big’ media because they now have options. Walk with me on this….
Have you seen TV adverts by NASA/ Raila Odinga? Have you seen any by the other candidates including Aukot, Nyagah, Prof Wainaina and the rest? Has Jubilee Party placed any TV advert apart from the now-illegal ones by the government? The same applies to radio, doesn’t it?
The 2017 political campaign has all but moved to the digital space. Raila is running his own TV station on Facebook, live streaming every political rally. Uhuru is doing the same with a lot of social media presence by his youthful campaign team. The same trend is exhibited by candidates of the other positions; Governors down to MCA.
The amount of money that Kiambu senatorial aspirant Karungo wa Thang’wa, Starehe’s Boniface Mwangi and others have spent on social media is a drop in the ocean compared to how much they would have spent on TV and radio ads. Yet, theirs is now more effective and measurable.
Last night’s ‘Up Yours’ gesture by politicians to the media was a typical reaction by a customer to business. It says ‘I have a better option and I am going for it, wewe shinda hapo!’
The days of legacy media running the pulse of the nation are under serious threat.Yesterday’s debate debacle was the most visual proof yet that Bindu Bichenjanga in the local media scene.
Presidential campaign teams, big and small in every sense of the word, snubbed a very well organised national debate. Every day they came up with excuse after another to frustrate the combined efforts of the ‘Big’ media. Let’s face it; those reasons they gave, including the court cases, were not enough to justify ignoring a uniform national platform to debate and share their ideas.
Yet, snub they did.
The big question now is ‘why?’ The notion that the various campaign teams felt the media would be biased against them is hogwash. If there truly was bias against one, then it would be to the benefit of another. That other should have run and milked the free platform. Neither can ‘inadequate consultation’ really hold water because all teams had been communicated to well in advance. Furthermore, the same personalities usually appear for live interviews on radio and TV on shorter notice.
Me thinks the politicians felt emboldened to stick a finger at ‘big’ media because they now have options. Walk with me on this….
Have you seen TV adverts by NASA/ Raila Odinga? Have you seen any by the other candidates including Aukot, Nyagah, Prof Wainaina and the rest? Has Jubilee Party placed any TV advert apart from the now-illegal ones by the government? The same applies to radio, doesn’t it?
The 2017 political campaign has all but moved to the digital space. Raila is running his own TV station on Facebook, live streaming every political rally. Uhuru is doing the same with a lot of social media presence by his youthful campaign team. The same trend is exhibited by candidates of the other positions; Governors down to MCA.
The amount of money that Kiambu senatorial aspirant Karungo wa Thang’wa, Starehe’s Boniface Mwangi and others have spent on social media is a drop in the ocean compared to how much they would have spent on TV and radio ads. Yet, theirs is now more effective and measurable.
Last night’s ‘Up Yours’ gesture by politicians to the media was a typical reaction by a customer to business. It says ‘I have a better option and I am going for it, wewe shinda hapo!’
The days of legacy media running the pulse of the nation are under serious threat.
Leave a Reply