As the elections for next year draw near, journalists must remain vigilant against the pervasive misinformation that accompanies the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).
Maina Muiruri, Chairman of the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), emphasizes that the media plays a crucial role in maintaining public trust amidst a landscape filled with misinformation, disinformation, manipulated images, and misleading narratives that can undermine the truth during the election period.
During the opening of a training session for digital media practitioners in Ruiru, Kiambu County, Muiruri urged journalists to leverage AI to identify manipulated content, analyze data effectively, and enhance their fact-checking processes.
He revealed that a report from MCK indicates that 60 percent of journalists covering the upcoming election will be doing so for the first time, highlighting the urgent need for training and awareness initiatives.
The workshop, organized by the Digital Journalists of Kenya (DJK), focuses on the theme: “Using AI to Enhance Content Authenticity and Build Information Credibility in a General Election Season.”
DJK Chairman Andy Kagwa stressed the importance of the media in combating hate speech and toxic political rhetoric, even as newsrooms and organizations like MCK, the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG), and the Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) implement initiatives to strengthen election monitoring and misinformation tracking systems.
Christine Muchira, the DJK Secretary, articulated the association’s mission to train, equip, and build the capacity of journalists operating in the digital space while also ensuring they adhere to the new code of conduct for media practice.
