Nurturing Nationhood through Peace Media: Analysing Peace related Programming in Community Radio Stations

This 35-page research report shares findings from a study commissioned by Peace and Development Network Trust-Kenya (PeaceNet-Kenya) and The Seed Institute to assess the performance of the vernacular radio stations in nurturing peace through their programming and content. According to the report, media has a vital role to play in creating a culture of peace in the country, however, a scan of the current content suggests that in some cases vernacular songs, programmes, musicians, and guests propagate messages of victimhood that are likely to harm peace-building efforts.

Researchers conducted a systematic and quantitative analysis of content broadcast on local FM stations (West FM, Inooro Fm, Pamoja FM, Egesa FM, Ghetto Radio, Kass FM, Lake Victoria FM, Muuga FM, and Baraka FM.) Researchers monitored programmes focusing on peace and conflict related subjects, which mainly involved discussions on Mau evictions, allocation of administrative boundaries, proliferation of illegal arms, the President’s decision to reverse the Prime Minister’s decision to dismiss alleged corrupt ministers, the proposed new constitution, and the controversial appointment of the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) chairperson. The study also involved an audience survey.

The research found that in terms of accuracy, stations broadcast content deemed accurate, that is based on verifiable facts, 77.5% of the time. The study also looked at the ability of a station to exhaustively and accurately report on two sides of any given story and be able to give any aggrieved party the right to reply. West FM was highly rated in fairness at 85% followed closely by Baraka FM at 83%. The least rated station on fairness was Pamoja FM at 60%. The overall rating of the vernacular stations on fairness was 73.3%. In terms of who is speaking on behalf of peace, the study found that panellists played a crucial role in advocating for peace as opposed to the radio presenters and callers. The panellists scored 30%, compared to 10% scored by both presenters and callers, in terms of using their time on air to advocate for peace. About 36% of politicians’ sentiments indicated that they were perpetrators of violence as opposed to 24% who could be termed as order restorers. In spite of women’s involvement in peace and reconciliation programmes in Kenya, an overwhelming 65% of the total coverage focused on the male gender.

The study concludes that although vernacular/community FM radio stations provide key platforms for marginalised communities to comment and share views on various agendas, some station's live talk shows and call-in programmes still disseminate propaganda and hate speeches. However, most guest panellists positively advocate for peace and conflict resolution mechanisms. Most local language stations in this study (and much of the rest of the media) appear to have been playing an important role in calming tensions and promoting dialogue. A strengthening of such a role by a genuinely independent media will form a critical contribution as Kenya navigates the turbulent waters ahead of it.

Based on the findings, the report makes the following recommendations:

• The vernacular/community FM radio stations should discourage politicians from using their stations to rally, and rather use broadcasts to address issues that genuinely concern their communities.
• There is an urgent need for training on conflict reporting.
• Vernacular stations should create more air time for the panellists. Talk shows have provided the greatest opportunities for hate speech and talk show hosts are not trained in conflict reporting or moderation. However, the invited panellists play a major role in nurturing nationhood.
• The politicians, mass media, local leaders, and other relevant players need to move from the existing destructive processes and stereotypes evident in the vernacular radio content towards constructive processes aimed at national cohesion.
• The vernacular stations need to not only discuss the visible effects of reported conflict but also invisible effects, for instance, trauma and cultural shifts.
• In order to cultivate good media practice, the vernacular stations need to examine long term causes and consequences of the conflict. The presenters should strive to give an in-depth background of the conflict and the restoration mechanisms.
• Civil society and the general public should monitor the media, especially vernacular radio stations, to ensure that they are professional and independent from partisan agenda, or political and private interests.
• Media owners and the government need to develop capacities to engage in change processes at the interpersonal, inter-group, and social structure levels. Government needs to allocate funds for peace building and conflict training, and facilitate community peace building sessions through the vernacular radio stations.
• Peace ambassadors’ need to envision a framework that holds the vernacular stations and the general public together and create a platform to address the content, the context, and the structure of the relationship.
• Vernacular FM radio stations should ensure that they only recruit trained journalists who are able to moderate debates professionally. They should also invest more in the re-training of their journalists to improve on their skills.
• In an effort to safeguard against misuse, political and ethnic prejudice, and manipulation of the public, the government, through the Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK), should scrutinise ownership of stations to ensure that politicians do not own any vernacular radio stations.
• The Media Council of Kenya should be strengthened effectively to punish any deviant media stations, vernacular or otherwise.
• The poor remuneration, status, and safety of journalists is hampering a free and plural media. Substantial progress in strengthening the media will not be possible unless the working conditions of journalists are improved.