The Kenya Editors Guild Convention has officially kicked off in Sarova Woodlands in Nakuru county
The Convention kicked off on Thursday morning as the Editors trooped into the Conference room.
With the over 60 delegates attending the conference, the team said they were eager to learn and unlearn issues around Biotechnology, artificial intelligence among other topics.
“We are excited to be here. This is our seventh annual Editors Convention and we see it as a milestone as the guild,” one of the editors told the writer.
The session begun with a team from Kenya Wildlife Services making an introductory remark and welcoming the team to Nakuru.
“We have several amenities within Nakuru and as such, you are encouraged to come and visit the Nakuru National Park, Hells Gate Kitchen among other beautiful amenities that the county offers ,” Senior Assistant Director Lucy Makosi said.
Makosi said media is the biggest stakeholders in ensuring that such amenities are well showcased to the ordinary Kenyan.
“We call for strengthening of partnerships in the media. We are here and I know we can work together,” she said.
The session further delved into Biotechnology: The pitfalls of misinformation and disinformation, a session that was led by Journalist and consultant Bernard Mwinzi.
Mwinzi who showcased a handbook on biotechnology said the media should provide a checklist before working on articles.
“We should avoid sensationalisation of content, we should also have the common terms that are used in biotechnology so that we do not misreport to the public,” he said.
He further said food security reporting is very important Just like health and environment.
“What we report in the media will determine whether Kenya will be food sufficient or not. How we present food stories determines how our audiences consume these products. As communicators we need to ask ourselves are we putting out credible information out there to help our readers to make the right decisions?” He posed.
“What will our audiences think of what we say? How do we frame these things in a way that biotech is our way of life?”
Mwinzi said biotechnology was not new adding that it has been existence for years.
“The fact of the matter is we have been doing this for centuries. If you take Busaa and fermented Milk, you are basically taking a product of Biotech,” he said amid laughters in the room.
Editors have gathered in Nakuru for a five-day Annual Editors’ Convention to share ideas in line with this year’s theme of innovative storytelling that can build public trust and drive change in the digital world.
The convention organised by the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) will run from Wednesday, November 27 to Sunday, December 1, at the Sarova Woodlands Hotel.
“The convention will be officially opened on November 29, 2024, by Prof Kithure Kindiki, Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya,” KEG said in a press invite.
Other distinguished speakers, it added, will be Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika and Liu Zhenyu, Director for Information and Public Affairs at the Chinese Embassy.
