| dc.description.abstract | This study examines the level of preparedness in terms of training and capacity of the Kenya journalist that were embedded with the KDF during the war against al-Shabaab . This is done against the background that war correspondence requires a different set of skills, different from that of conventional journalism because of what is at stake and several competing interests that have the potential of impinging on professionalism and independence as well as ethical journalism practice. The study finds out that no specific competencies in terms of training and selection criteria were considered when picking the journalists to be embedded. The study also finds out that those journalists sent to the battle front were neither professionally nor psychologically prepared for the assignment.
The study finds out that, from other countries, especially the developed ones, before journalists are sent to cover war or a violent conflict, they must undergo a compulsory training course on war correspondence which includes exposure to simulated war environments to better prepare them to face the risks of covering war. The study recommends, in the Kenyan context, there should be a concerted effort toward developing and enhancing capacity and specialized expertise in the. area of conflict sensitive reporting and war correspondence. This way, the challenges that were faced by the very first war journalists embedded with the KDF are not repeated by enhancing their preparedness. | en_US |
