In the media industry in Kenya and even world over, there are 8 (eight) ways in which journalists/editors receive cash for stories. I can assure you 99.9% of Kenyan journalists have received cash in one of those ways.
- A source offers unsolicited cash to a writer to publish a story which the writer would have published even without the cash.
- Someone offers unsolicited cash to a journalist to kill a story which the journalist did not even intend to publish in the first place.
- Someone offers unsolicited cash to a journalist to publish a story which the journalist had decided to kill.
- Someone offers unsolicited cash to a journalist to kill a story which the journalist had decided to publish.
The other 4 ways is when the journalist actually solicits for the cash from someone, to do either of the 4 above….like in (1), a journalist asking for cash from you to publish a story which his/her editor is already waiting for and has even allocated space or airtime.
Many seasoned sources especially politicians know when each of the 8 ways is applicable so they know when to go back to their pockets or when not to.
If say Raila Odinga calls a press conference, the story will go on air whether the journalist receives or does not receive money from Raila, to air it.
But if Raila says something which his people would not want published, then for that segment to be “killed” getting back to their treasury will be important.
I guess the Walter Menya issue arose due to a misunderstanding between him and the sources on one of the 8. That could have been easily worked out.
Source:Wahome Thuku
