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I truly believe that the N*ti*n media meta strategy is clicks by any means, to make the numbers associated with remaining relevant in a digital age when sources of information have decentralised and media have to find a way to keep up.
A common way for this is outrage clicks.
A common way for this is outrage clicks.
Journalism is a career done by people who learn, whether in school or self taught, to gather, arrange and present relevant, accurate information in a way that makes contextual sense and that makes sense in the archive as a reliable source.
This is LITERALLY their job.
This is LITERALLY their job.
And this is the job, whether they are presenting about COVID, politics, sports, gossip, entertainment etc.
It is their job.
They do desk research. They run things by editors who check copy for liabilities. This includes social and cultural liability, not just legal.
It is their job.
They do desk research. They run things by editors who check copy for liabilities. This includes social and cultural liability, not just legal.
Every article that makes a claim about a scandal, especially, has people making sure that their claims can pass certain legal tests so that they are not taken to court.
Of course a paper can choose to risk court as a strategy. But they do so KNOWINGLY.
Of course a paper can choose to risk court as a strategy. But they do so KNOWINGLY.
And "Knowingly" is my point.
Media real estate is valuable acreage, whether digitally or in print.
I tell you the truth: between writers and editors, deliberate choices were made to anger us with that disgusting and cruel piece about suicide, mental health and self harm today.
Media real estate is valuable acreage, whether digitally or in print.
I tell you the truth: between writers and editors, deliberate choices were made to anger us with that disgusting and cruel piece about suicide, mental health and self harm today.
I'm really past telling people who eediat repeatedly on purpose to do better.
That's clearly not a successful plan.
We've been here with this same media house telling them "
" for the last decade on this bird app.
Strategy LAZIMA ibadilike, as my friend Bethsheba once said
That's clearly not a successful plan.
We've been here with this same media house telling them "
" for the last decade on this bird app. Strategy LAZIMA ibadilike, as my friend Bethsheba once said
The commonest outrage pathway is to pick topics surrounding vocal communities and say something to piss them off.
As part of community agency and solidarity, they will of course clap back.
They will quote tweet you, RT you, reply.
Engagement skyrockets.
Rinse and repeat.
As part of community agency and solidarity, they will of course clap back.
They will quote tweet you, RT you, reply.
Engagement skyrockets.
Rinse and repeat.
The thing with algorithms is that they don't care whether you engaged because you are furious or because you agree. It is thrown in the census as an engagement.
Feminists learned this painfully, because we are who N*ti*n Media and many others perfected this strategy on.
Feminists learned this painfully, because we are who N*ti*n Media and many others perfected this strategy on.
I really used to quote tweet with painstaking threads about why the 
was smelling and needed to be flushed away.
These days, no. I realised the enemy is not ignorance.
These people KNOW what they are doing. They harm the marginalised ON PURPOSE to profit off their anger.
was smelling and needed to be flushed away. These days, no. I realised the enemy is not ignorance.
These people KNOW what they are doing. They harm the marginalised ON PURPOSE to profit off their anger.
I cannot imagine the depth of grievous harm that article has done, both in print or online, countrywide, to a nation of people whose mental health is routinely ignored and callously damaged daily in schools, hospitals and clinics, churches, mosques and temples, and by the state.
May every person who made every one of those decisions, however casually or strategically, always carry the weight of what they did today, until the day they find ways - and they will need many - to make real and tangible amends to all those they have harmed.
But also, what do we do to mitigate this level of real, intentional damage?
This is like someone slashing your tires and also stealing your spare.
The first thing - don't give the harm-mongers your clicks. You know who we should send clicks to?
- @MediaCouncilK
- @CA_Kenya
This is like someone slashing your tires and also stealing your spare.
The first thing - don't give the harm-mongers your clicks. You know who we should send clicks to?
- @MediaCouncilK
- @CA_Kenya
Hello, @MediaCouncilK and @CA_Kenya.
Per @MOH_Kenya and @aphrc (reliable sources) mental challenges, illness and suicide in Kenya are serious crises requiring multistakeholder engagement.
Should deliberate media callousness re. these matters thus be considered malicious neglect?
Per @MOH_Kenya and @aphrc (reliable sources) mental challenges, illness and suicide in Kenya are serious crises requiring multistakeholder engagement.
Should deliberate media callousness re. these matters thus be considered malicious neglect?
We should contact all the people who need to clap back at those who eediat deliberately.
Maybe they can ignore the public. But they cannot ignore regulators and institutional stakeholders for too long.
Also, just "Sorry
" doesn't cut it any more.
We need tangibles.
Maybe they can ignore the public. But they cannot ignore regulators and institutional stakeholders for too long.
Also, just "Sorry
" doesn't cut it any more. We need tangibles.
There are consultants who can be paid to update the mandatory journo ethics training that @CA_Kenya requires, to ensure it is up to date re. covering mental health.
@Dr_chitayi and @MaggietheMezzo are here. Pay them to set you straight so nobody can claim even distant ignorance.
@Dr_chitayi and @MaggietheMezzo are here. Pay them to set you straight so nobody can claim even distant ignorance.
For us as ourselves, we only have each other as we all seek the light.
So we need to find and amplify and share ALL the people and ALL the work that sees us clearly, hears us well, AND centers our Kenyan, African lives and our mental health with compassion and care.
So we need to find and amplify and share ALL the people and ALL the work that sees us clearly, hears us well, AND centers our Kenyan, African lives and our mental health with compassion and care.
There are many Kenyans doing great work in this arena. Sharing their own or framing other's stories with care because we are valuable.
@ADELLEO
@Rixpoet
@marcusolang
@miz_soraya
@MaggietheMezzo
@KittKiarie
@BefriendersKe
@niskize
etc.
@ADELLEO
@Rixpoet
@marcusolang
@miz_soraya
@MaggietheMezzo
@KittKiarie
@BefriendersKe
@niskize
etc.
We can help each other access, be comforted by, learn from and find solidarity and healing in the work that centers us.
As we work and hope such that all those committed to our destruction may themselves be made irrelevant like the dust they are clearly snorting for breakfast.
As we work and hope such that all those committed to our destruction may themselves be made irrelevant like the dust they are clearly snorting for breakfast.
In this vastly cruel world, which is more cruel to black folk, women, queer, trans and GNC folk, folk living in poverty, folk living with disability, refugees etc, because our belonging is an evil game to supremacist systems - we must teach each other how to support each other.
I end holding space for all who departed because staying was too much: May you be at peace now.
For those who (may) want to leave this existence: May all space open for you to tell the right someone(s), who'll hear you well, and assist you to get the help you need in full.
/Fin
For those who (may) want to leave this existence: May all space open for you to tell the right someone(s), who'll hear you well, and assist you to get the help you need in full.
/Fin
