Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria Vows to Slash Government Advertisements on NMG Over Critical Investigative Reporting
Sunday, June 18th. Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria threatened to cut Nation Media Group’s (NMG) government advertising and publicity. For its persistent criticism through investigative journalism.
During the Akorino Annual Convention in Embu County. The CS attacked the media outlet publicly. Demanding that it declare whether it was a watchdog or part of the opposition.
In addition, he warned the management of government agencies that advertise with NMG. To stop spending or risk losing their jobs. Kuria pledged to implement a crackdown on the media beginning June 18.
According to Kuria, the Kenya Kwanza administration could no longer continue advertising with the company.
“You need to decide if you are a newspaper, broadcasting house, media station, or opposition party,” he threatened Nation Media Group, which operates, among other stations, NTV, Daily Nation, Nation Africa, and Nation FM.
“Starting tomorrow, if I observe any government agency placing advertisements in Nation Media, the person in charge will be terminated,” he added.
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In a subsequent statement, Kuria teased NMG by claiming that it would only advertise auctions and obituaries.
Before Kuria’s confrontation, Nation Media Group aired an exposé alleging that the ministries of Trade and Agriculture. Under CS Mithika Linturi, misappropriated more than Ksh6 billion in an oil scandal.
The Media Owners Association, Editors Guild, and Media Council of Kenya (MCK) have not yet responded to Kuria’s attack on Nation Media House.
Earlier, the majority leader in the Senate, Aaron Cheruiyot, also accused Nation Media Group of biased coverage in a scandal involving Edward Muriu, a Gatanga MP, and Florence Bore, a Labour CS.
Bore and Muriu were accused of competing for the Ksh90-120 million home in Nairobi’s Karen neighborhood. Cheruiyot argued that the media published the story without requesting a response from Bore.
After the Labour CS clarified the alleged scandal in a statement, Cheruiyot exerted pressure on the media to give it extensive coverage.
Cheruiyot complained, “I hope it receives the same prominence as the MP.”
On May 21, 2023, Vice President Rigathi Gachagua accused the mainstream media of continuously criticizing the government while ignoring its accomplishments.
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“Do not present a one-sided account. “When you give an account of broken promises, give an account of kept promises, and let the people of Kenya decide whether substantial progress has been made in seven months,” he stated.
In January 2023, the DP also claimed that the media frequently misinterprets his statements to fit a particular narrative.
Promotion in the Mainstream
Nation Media Group launched its digital brand Nation. Africa in 2020 to adapt to rapidly shifting consumer preferences and reduce its reliance on government advertising, which had decreased following the pandemic.
It also introduced a paywall, which was subsequently removed, to increase reader revenue while decreasing its reliance on advertising.
In 2021, 72 percent of the Group’s revenue came from print. A few months after launching its redesigned digital website, the media company also saw a 20 percent increase in digital revenue that same year.
In 2023, as part of its ongoing Newsroom Integration Project, the organization made additional changes to its editorial leadership.
NMG merged its print and online platforms into a single, fully-functional structure.
“Therefore, the two structures will operate concurrently in a mutually reinforcing manner until the transition is complete.
“This is an important exercise that touches on how we are structured, how we do our work, and the future direction of journalism in general. As such, we must handle it with care and respect for the important roles we each play daily in our respective newsrooms. This explains why the new structure must be implemented in phases, as stated by the Group Editorial Director, Joe Ageyo.
Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria Vows to Slash Government Advertisements on NMG Over Critical Investigative Reporting
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