bbc.co.uk
The Kenyan National Steering Committee on Media Monitoring (NSCMM) has cautioned against the airing of pictures of scenes of attacks and patients under treatment, saying such images do not dignify humanity.
Speaking during the weekly briefing, acting director of information Olewe Owiti said although the pictures were relevant they bordered on not being ethical. The comments were in response to pictures of a grenade attack in a church in Mombasa over the weekend.
“We call upon the media to desist from carrying pictures of people in distress either at hospital or at scenes of attack. Yesterday one daily carried three pictures of men in various stages of medical treatment. The said pictures were relevant to the stories but we need to consider their dignity as human beings and the feelings of their families. We are not sure that carrying these very graphic images is in anyone’s interest and to some extent they infringe on the privacy of the injured persons,” he said.
He added the media had the duty to apply discretion while considering the effect on family members and relatives.
“Whereas the media should disseminate news and carry feature stories, they should do so with compassion and discretion,” he said.
“It is unfair for children to see their parent lying flat on a hospital bed minus his shirt. Let the newspaper editors look for images that convey the message adequately while bearing in mind that the subjects of the story and photo have families.”
He however commended the media for showing restraint in covering the matter in a manner that did not raise tensions among various groups.
