News Around Women’s Issues Should Be More Than Just ‘Soft News’

Primetime news is the most watched TV segment in Kenya. Almost every Kenyan family with a TV set will be tuned in to one of the local channels watching the news from 9pm. Broadcasters are well aware of this and have invested in the best news sets as well as journalists. Our news anchors are celebrities and are more recognizable to a larger portion of the public than musicians or actors.

Growing up, we knew that 7pm and especially 9pm was news time and we would have to give up the remote to our parents who could not miss the news. When we grew up, we carried on the tradition. Basically, watching news is an integral part of the Kenyan lifestyle. The media is one of the most trusted institutions in the country and whether it’s TV, radio, print and lately online media, Kenyans follow keenly. With such power should come great responsibility.

In 2014, the top five television stations in Kenya aired a total of 16 hours of news stories related to women and girls. That’s just 4% of news airtime dedicated to talking about the challenges that impact women and girls. 4% is not enough to cater for half the population. One must question why this is the case. Is it a symptom of the idea that news or stories about women are not mainstream enough or are just simply soft news and should therefore be relegated to snippets of the main agenda?

This lack of coverage when it comes to stories about women is not a Kenyan phenomenon; the rest of the world seems to be suffering from the same condition. News outlets want to keep women as their consumers but don’t want to give them a big platform for their stories to be told. The consensus seems to be that the news that is suitable for consumption by women is that which revolves around relationships, family and beauty. Basically, what would be considered soft news in journalism. Granted, these topics are important and should be covered, but not at the expense of other stories.

The power of representation in the media cannot be emphasized enough. Yes there are already segments in the news that are specifically focused on women and that’s a good start. However, more needs to be done especially as far as coverage of women in areas that have been traditionally considered as hard news such as politics and business. There also needs to be a push to have more reporting on stories that are hard news as well as having more women being interviewed as experts on various panels.

Change doesn’t happen by accident. The only way that things can improve is through systematic action. Greater representation of women’s issues in the media will allow policymakers and government leaders to take action in allocating resources and pushing for the necessary laws, policies, and programs that help to create opportunities for Kenya’s women and girls in this and the next generation.

One way we can play a part in making this change a reality is by signing the petition by Wezesha Dada to petition media houses to give women’s issues 5 more minutes of media coverage in Kenya. Wezesha Dada Inua Jamii uses the power of storytelling through various media platforms to share the insightful and inspiring stories of fearless women and men who are bringing positive change to the lives of Kenya’s women and girls.

Enjoy the wonderful video in support of the campaign featuring the talented Juliani below. #TellOurStories