By TV Prime Time Review Team
Journalists love the thrill of a breaking story: the rush, the urgency, the race to be first on air. But here’s the uncomfortable question: what happens to the truth when speed overtakes fairness?
Recent media monitoring trends of mainstream news bulletins indicate that the Code of Conduct on accuracy, balance, and fairness is, unfortunately, one of the most violated clauses in our profession. At the heart of it lies a core principle: balance, and specifically, the right of reply. The Code is clear: every story must present all material sides fairly and impartially, and those facing accusations must be given a fair opportunity to respond.
But this past week gave us a telling example of how easily that principle is overlooked.
During Senate proceedings on political “goonism,” serious and explosive allegations were made, particularly by Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi. His claims, linking senior government officials to orchestrated violence, dominated prime-time news across TV 47, Citizen TV, KTN, and NTV. The tone across stations was intense, adversarial, and gripping. But beneath that intensity lay a troubling pattern.
Across the board, accusations were amplified quickly and prominently, yet responses from those accused were either delayed, diluted, or missing altogether.
TV 47: “Top Cops Put in the Hot Seat.” The coverage was grim. It aired Senator Osotsi’s blistering attack on Interior PS Raymond Omollo, where he claimed the PS literally “walks around with goons” in his office, his vehicle, and even his chopper. Osotsi called him a “Goon Principal Secretary.” It was heavy stuff, yet the coverage felt one-sided. Even if a subject has denied allegations in the past, journalism ethics demand we bring those clips back into the current story to provide immediate context.
KTN took a similar path with “Murkomen on the Spot.” They focused on the backlash against Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen for his absence. However, the narrative took a more pointed turn when they aired Senator Osotsi naming a specific individual, Boy Akoth, as the ringleader of the group that attacked him. According to Osotsi, not only is Akoth still at large in Kisumu, but he is allegedly organizing local meetings for Interior PS Raymond Omollo to attend. Again, the accusations flew fast, but the “other side” was missing from the immediate narrative.
Citizen TV gave us a glimpse of what balance should look like. In their report “Osotsi: Ojienda, PS Omollo hired goons,” Osotsi accused his own committee chair, Tom Ojienda, of financing the attackers. To their credit, Citizen TV aired a clip of Ojienda rebutting these claims, even though he was constantly interrupted by Senator Edwin Sifuna. At least the viewer heard a “no” to the “yes.” But then comes the interesting part somehow. That same courtesy evaporated when it came to allegations against Raymond Omollo.
NTV, meanwhile, was the most neutral with “Cracking the Goons’ Code.” They pivoted away from the sensational allegations to focus on the procedural facts: that investigations were underway as stated by IG Douglas Kanja and DCI Mohamed Amin.
Often, stations provide a rebuttal a day later. In today’s fast-moving media environment, that delay is already too late. By then, the narrative has settled, perceptions have formed, and the damage fair or not has already been done.
The Code of Conduct (Section C) also requires the media “to preserve evidence of unsuccessful attempts to contact persons adversely mentioned.”
If you can’t reach the person being accused, don’t just say “our efforts were unsuccessful.” Evidence of effort is part of your accountability to the viewer.
Because the right of reply is not just a legal safeguard, it is a cornerstone of credible journalism.
Without it, reporting risks becoming one-sided. It turns journalism into a relay of accusations rather than a balanced search for truth. It shifts the role of the journalist from investigator to amplifier carrying the loudest voice in the room without question or context.
As we edge closer to the 2027 election cycle, the stakes will only get higher and the rhetoric sharper. If the media does not commit to instant balance; ensuring that accusation and response exist side by side in the same moment, then we risk becoming tools in political battles rather than trusted sources of public information
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQveN3iVJIs- TV 47 coverage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdhEdax_fgY- Citizen TV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2nImAbI-i8/ -NTV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Teg12cUFolM- KTN
