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Code of conduct for the
Practice of journalism in Kenya

Media Council of Kenya
Promoting Press Freedom and Responsible Journalism

Preamble
As the leading institution in the regulation of media and in the conduct
and discipline of journalists in Kenya, one of major functions of the
Media Council of Kenya is to promote high professional standards
amongst journalists. Besides promoting and protecting freedom and
independence of the media, the Council also works to promote ethical
standards among journalists and in the media. The Code of Conduct
for the Practice of Journalism as entrenched in the Second Schedule
of the Media Act 2007 governs the conduct and practice of all media
practitioners in the country.

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1. Accuracy and Fairness
(a) The fundamental objective of a journalist is to write a
fair, accurate and an unbiased story on matters of public
interest. All sides of the story shall be reported, wherever
possible. Comments should be obtained from anyone
who is mentioned in an unfavourable context.
(b) Whenever it is recognized that an inaccurate,
misleading or distorted story has been published or
broadcast, it should be corrected promptly. Corrections
should present the correct information and should not
restate the error except when clarity demands.
(c) An apology shall be published or broadcast whenever
appropriate in such manner as the Council may specify.
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(d) When stories fall short on accuracy and fairness,
they should not be published. Journalists, while free to
be partisan, should distinguish clearly in their reports
between comment, conjecture and fact.
(e) In general, provocative and alarming headlines should
be avoided. Headings should reflect and justify the matter
printed under them. Headings containing allegations
made in statements should either identify the body or the
source making them or at least carry quotation marks.
(f) Journalists should present news fairly and impartially,
placing primary value on significance and relevance.
(g) Journalists should treat all subjects of news coverage
with respect and dignity, showing particular compassion
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to victims of crime or tragedy.
(h) Journalists should seek to understand the diversity
of their community and inform the public without bias
or stereotype and present a diversity of expressions,
opinions, and ideas in context.
(i) Journalists and other media practitioners should
present analytical reporting based on professional
perspective, not personal bias.

2. Independence
Journalists should defend the independence of all journalists from
those seeking influence or control over news content. They should—

(a) gather and report news without fear or favour, and
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vigorously resist undue influence from any outside forces,
including advertisers, sources, story, subjects, powerful
individuals and special interest groups;
�� (b) resist those who would buy or politically influence
news content or who would seek to intimidate those who
gather and disseminate news;
(c) determine news content solely through editorial
judgement and not the result of outside influence.
(d) resist any self-interest or peer pressure that might
erode journalistic duty and service to the public.
(e) recognize that sponsorship of the news should not
be used in any way to determine, restrict or manipulate
content.
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(f) refuse to allow the interests of ownership or
management to influence news’ judgement and content
inappropriately.

3. Integrity
Journalists should present news with integrity and decency, avoiding
real or perceived conflicts of interest, and respect the dignity and
intelligence of the audience as well as the subjects of news. They
should—

(a) identify sources whenever possible. Confidential
sources should be used only when it is clearly in public
interest to gather or convey important information or
when a person providing information might be harmed;

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(b) clearly label opinion and commentary;
(c) use technological tools with skill and thoughtfulness,
avoiding techniques that skew facts, distort reality, or
sensationalize events;
(d) use surreptitious news gathering techniques including
hidden cameras or microphones, only if there is no other
way of obtaining stories of significant public importance,
and if the technique is explained to the audience.

Journalists should not—
(a) pay news sources who have vested interest in a story;
(b) accept gifts, favours or compensation from those who
might seek to influence coverage;
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(c) engage in activities that may compromise their

��4. Accountability
integrity or independence.

Journalists and all media practitioners should recognize that they
are accountable for their actions to the public, the profession and
themselves. They should—
(a) actively encourage adherence to these standards by
all journalists and media practitioners;
(b) respond to public concerns, investigate complaints
and correct errors promptly;
(c) recognize that they are duty-bound to conduct
themselves ethically.

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5. Opportunity to Reply
A fair opportunity to reply to inaccuracies should be given to
individuals or organizations when reasonably called for. If the request
to correct inaccuracies in a story is in the form of a letter, the editor
has the discretion to publish it in full or in its abridged and edited
version, particularly when it is too long, but the remainder should be
an effective reply to the allegations.

6. Unnamed Sources
Unnamed sources should not be used unless the pursuit of the truth
will best be served by not naming the source who should be known
by the editor and reporter. When material is used in a report from
sources other than the reporter’s, these sources should be indicated
in the story.

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7. Confidentiality
In general, journalists have a professional obligation to protect
confidential sources of information.

8. Misrepresentation
Journalists should generally identify themselves and not obtain or
seek to obtain information or pictures through misrepresentation or
subterfuge. Subterfuge can be justified only in the public interest and
only when material cannot be obtained by any other means.

9. Obscenity, Taste and Tone in Reporting
(a) In general, journalists should avoid publishing
obscene, vulgar or offensive material unless such
material contains a news value which is necessary in the
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public interest.
(b) In the same vein, publication of photographs showing
mutilated bodies, bloody incidents and abhorrent scenes
should be avoided unless the publication or broadcast of

10. Paying for News and Articles
such photographs will serve the public interest.

When money is paid for information, serious questions can be raised
about the credibility of that information and the motives of the buyer
and the seller. Therefore, in principle, journalists should not receive
any money as an incentive to publish any information.

11. Covering Ethnic, Religious and Sectarian Conflict
(a) News, views or comments on ethnic, religious or
sectarian dispute should be published or broadcast
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after proper verification of facts and presented with due
caution and restraint in a manner which is conducive
to the creation of an atmosphere congenial to national
harmony, amity and peace.
(b) Provocative and alarming headlines should be
avoided.
(c) News reports or commentaries should not be written
or broadcast in a manner likely to inflame the passions,
aggravate the tension or accentuate the strained relations
between the communities concerned. Equally so, articles
or broadcasts with the potential to exacerbate communal
trouble should be avoided.

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12. Recording Interviews and Telephone Conversations
(a) Except in justifiable cases, journalists should not tape
or record anyone without the person’s knowledge. An
exception may be made only if the recording is necessary
to protect the journalist in a legal action or for some other
compelling reason. In this context these standards also
apply to electronic media.
(b) Before recording a telephone conversation for
broadcast, or broadcasting a telephone conversation
live, a station should inform any party to the call of its
intention to broadcast the conversation. This, however,
does not apply to conversation whose broadcast can
reasonably be presumed, for example, telephone calls
to programmes where the station customarily broadcasts
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calls.

13. Privacy
(a) The public’s right to know should be weighed against
the privacy rights of people in the news.
(b) Journalists should stick to the issues.
(c) Intrusion and inquiries into an individual’s private life
without the person’s consent are not generally acceptable
unless public interest is involved. Public interest should
itself be legitimate and not merely prurient or morbid
curiosity. Things concerning private affairs are covered
by the concept of privacy except where these impinge
upon the public.

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14. Intrusion into Grief and Shock
(a) In cases involving personal grief or shock, inquiries
should be made with sensitivity and discretion.
(b) In hospitals, journalists should identify themselves
and obtain permission from a responsible executive
before entering non-public areas of hospitals or similar
institutions to pursue enquiries.

15. Sex Discrimination
Women and men should be treated equally as news subjects and
news sources.

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16. Financial Journalism
(a) Journalists should not use financial information they
receive in advance for their own benefit, and should not
pass the information to others.
(b) Journalists should not write or broadcast about
shares, securities and other market instruments in whose
performance they know they or their close families have
a significant financial interest, without disclosing the
interest to the editor.
(c) Journalists should not buy or sell, directly or through
nominees or agents, shares or securities and other
market instruments about which they intend to write in
the near future.
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17. Letters to the Editor
An editor who decides to open a column on a controversial subject is
not obliged to publish all the letters received in regard to that subject.
The editor may select and publish only some of them either in their
entirety or the gist thereof. However, in exercising this right, the editor
should make an honest attempt to ensure that what is published is not
one-sided but presents a fair balance between the pros and the cons
of the principal issue. The editor shall have the discretion to decide
at which point to end the debate in the event of a rejoinder upon
rejoinder by two or more parties on a controversial subject.

18. Protection of Children
Children should not be identified in cases concerning sexual offences,
whether as victims, witnesses or defendants. Except in matters of
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public interest, for example, cases of child abuse or abandonment,
journalists should not normally interview or photograph children on
subjects involving their personal welfare in the absence or without
the consent, of a parent or other adult who is responsible for the
children. Children should not be approached or photographed while
at school and other formal institutions without the permission of
school authorities.
In adhering to this principle, a journalist should always take into
account specific cases of children in difficult circumstances.

19. Victims of Sexual Offences
The media should not identify victims of sexual assault or publish
material likely to contribute to such identification. Such publications
do not serve any legitimate journalistic or public need and may
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bring social opprobrium to the victims and social embarrassment to
their relations, family, friends, community, religious order and to the
institutions to which they belong.

20. Use of Pictures and Names
As a general rule, the media should apply caution in the use of pictures
and names and should avoid publication when there is a possibility of
harming the persons concerned. Manipulation of pictures in a manner
that distorts reality should be avoided. Pictures of grief, disaster and
those that embarrass and promote sexism should be discouraged.

21. Innocent Relatives and Friends
The media should generally avoid identifying relatives or friends of
persons convicted or accused of crime unless the reference to them
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is necessary for the full, fair and accurate reporting of the crime or
legal proceedings.

22. Acts of Violence
The media should avoid presenting acts of violence, armed robberies,
banditry and terrorist activities in a manner that glorifies such anti-
social conduct. Also, newspapers should not allow their columns to
be used for writings which tend to encourage or glorify social evils,
warlike activities, ethnic, racial or religious hostilities.

23. Editor’s Responsibilities
The editor shall assume the responsibility for all content, including
advertisements, published in a newspaper. If responsibility is
disclaimed, this shall be explicitly stated before hand.
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24. Advertisements
The editor should not allow any advertisement which is contrary to
any aspect of this Code of Conduct. In this regard, and to the extent
applicable, the editor should be guided by the Advertiser’s Code of
Conduct.

25. Hate Speech
Quoting persons making derogatory remarks based on ethnicity,
race, creed, colour and sex shall be avoided. Racist or negative
ethnic terms should be avoided. Careful account should be taken of
the possible effect upon the ethnic or racial group concerned, and on
the population as a whole, and of the changes in public attitudes as to
what is and what is not acceptable when using such terms.

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P.O. Box 43132 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 (020) 272 5032, 2737058,
Mobile: +254 727 735252 Fax: +254 (020) 272 5032
Email: info@mediacouncil.or.ke http://www.mediacouncil.or.ke

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