08/06/2025
KCA HOSTS EIGHT REGIONAL FORUMS ON PRESS FREEDOM
Kenya Correspondents Association (KCA) in May 2025 hosted 8 regional dialogue forums across Kenya to mark of the World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) as part of efforts to promote media dialogue with diverse range of stakeholders.
The association hosted the 8 regional forums between May 5-9, 2025 with support from the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa. This was part of KCA’s consistent efforts since 2018 to entrench regular engagements between the media, journalists and other key actors, including county government officials, rural based non-state actors and citizens groups.
The forums, focusing on the theme for the WPFD 2025: Reporting in the Brave New World – The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom and the Media, were held in 8 counties across Kenya, namely: Kisii, Kisumu, Turkana, Uasin Gishu, Makueni, Isiolo, Mombasa and in the capital, Nairobi.
“Since 2018, KCA has adopted this decentralized approach which allows for greater participation, robust engagement and inclusion of rural based journalists, grassroots CSOs and human rights activists/social justice centers, County and National Government officials in the regions. We are committed to creating opportunities for stakeholders in the regions to have greater appreciation of the importance of press freedom, freedom of expression and access to information”, said the KCA Chairman, Hudson Araka Matara, who spoke at the Kisii forum.
The forums also included sensitization of non-traditional Social Media 4 Peace (SM4P) partners on ethical content creation, emerging issues and related impact of emerging tech and AI on journalism, existing accountability frameworks, and responsible digital engagement for addressing disinformation and hate speech on digital platforms. This was aimed at fostering collaboration and increasing their commitment and accountability of content that they produce and share in counties with the public.
Speakers at the different forums acknowledged the democratization of information through social media and citizen journalism, while warning of the dangers of misinformation, unethical reporting, and attention-driven narratives.
Speaking at the Nairobi Forum, Ms. Esther Kamweru, a former CEO of the Media Council of Kenya and veteran editor said:
"Artificial intelligence and other technological tools are shaping our news, in the process shaping the way journalists deliver content. We must remain ethical in our content creation and use the digital space responsibly to avoid misinformation and disinformation”.
Veteran editors and senior journalists stressed the importance of editorial rigor, ethical decision-making, and critical analysis. They called on veteran journalists and media actors to document their experiences and history of the media sector adding that it was important to establish frameworks for continuous knowledge transfer, experience sharing and mentorship.
"We cannot afford to lose our compass. Journalism must remain rooted in public interest—not just public attention. This calls on all of us to promote ethical reporting and utilize AI responsibly within our media spaces," said Ken Bosire, a veteran editor who was a panelist at the Nairobi forum.
Through panels comprising journalists, county government officials, CSO actors, academia and the community leaders, the forums discussed the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the media and on other sectors, sparking of animated discussions around its positive and negative impacts.
Speakers and participants at the forums recognized the importance of AI in media work and other sectors but called for more responsible use to avoid spreading fake news, misinformation and disinformation. Additionally, they called for more training for journalist on the use of AI and other emerging technological tools.
The forums called for enhanced collaboration and regular forums between the media and other stakeholders at the grassroot levels, intergenerational conversations and mentorship within the media sectors to ensure continuity and build a more resilient media ecosystem.
There were also calls for the media sector, CSOs and the government to work together in promoting press freedom as well as collaborative efforts between the media and non-state actors at safeguarding the civic space, promoting more accountability, democracy and amplifying citizens voices.
Other issues discussed during the forums included the increasing violations targeting journalists in the regions, especially following the Gen Z protests last year, which led to a number of them being injured, denial of access to information and destruction of their equipment.
Journalists called on county governments and other government agencies to facilitate access to information for more accurate reporting of the governance and development initiatives in the counties.
County and National Government officials, the CSOs and other stakeholders who attended the forums lauded KCA and UNESCO for organizing the forums. They called for sustained collaboration and more dialogue forums between them and the media to improve accountability and access to information for informed decision making.
Ends.
