The Media Council of Kenya is an independent national institution established by the Media Council Act 2013 for purposes of setting of media standards and ensuring compliance with those standards as set out in Article 34(5) of the Constitution and for connected purposes. The Council started as a sel… read moref-regulating body in 2004 to regulate media industry in Kenya but transited through the Media Act 2007 and adopted co-regulation media regulation approach, where board members and the Secretariat while receiving government funds to support some of its activities, remain very independent in their operations and are not subject to any form of control.
Vision
A professional and free media accountable to the public.
Mission
To safeguard media freedom, enhance professionalism and arbitrate media disputes.
Our Core Values
The Council is committed to the following guiding principles:
1. Integrity
2. Independence
3. Professionalism
4. Transparency and Accountability
Council’s Role, Mandate, Functions and Authority
The Council draws its mandate and authority from the Media Act 2013. Its functions are to:
Promote and protect the freedom and independence of the media;
Prescribe standards of journalists, media practitioners and media enterprises;
Ensure the protection of the rights and privileges of journalists in the performance of their duties;
Promote and enhance ethical and professional standards amongst journalists and media enterprises;
Advise the government or the relevant regulatory authority on matters relating to professional, education and the training of journalists and other media practitioners;
Set standards, in consultation with the relevant training institutions, for professional education and training of journalists;
Develop and regulate ethical and disciplinary standards for journalists, media practitioners and media enterprises;
Accredit journalists and foreign journalists by certifying their competence, authority or credibility against official standards based on the quality and training of journalists in Kenya including the maintaining of a register of journalists, media enterprises and such other related registers as it may deem fit and issuance of such document evidencing accreditation with the Council as the Council shall determine;
Conduct an annual review of the performance and the general public opinion of the media, and publish the results in at least two daily newspapers of national circulation;
Through the Cabinet Secretary, table before Parliament reports on its functions;
Establish media standards and regulate and monitor compliance with the media standards;
Facilitate resolution of disputes between the government and the media and between the public and the media and intra media;
Compile and maintain a register of accredited journalists, foreign journalists, media enterprises and such other related registers as it may consider necessary;
Subject to any other written law, consider and approve applications for accreditation by educational institutions that seek to offer courses in journalism; and
Perform such other functions as may be assigned to it under any other written law.