A reader’s untiring crusade against bad grammar and frequent mistakes of fact
What you need to know:
- He is an auditor and tea farmer rolled into one. He brings the skills of analysis and nit-picking to the world of journalism. As one of several readers who regularly poke holes in news stories and articles, he helps to keep NMG accountable.
- Newspapers make three types of errors that irritate readers: typographical, fact-based, and errors of meaning. Mr Mwirichia seems to be particularly concerned with errors of meaning. One of his peeves is the use of the word “historical” when “historic” is intended.
- Indeed, he confirmed that the last time he was in Rwanda they mistook him for one of their own. Mr Mwirichia is from the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya, and like the Rwandan president, he does not mince his words, especially when it comes to sloppy journalism.
One breezy Tuesday morning in May a tall, slim Kimathi Mwirichia walked into my office at Nation Centre in Nairobi.
He looked like Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s little brother in all but name. Indeed, he confirmed that the last time he was in Rwanda they mistook him for one of their own. Mr Mwirichia is from the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya, and like the Rwandan president, he does not mince his words, especially when it comes to sloppy journalism.
I met him for the first time, though I knew of him from his untiring efforts in pointing out errors of meaning and fact in NMG publications.
He is an auditor and tea farmer rolled into one. He brings the skills of analysis and nit-picking to the world of journalism. As one of several readers who regularly poke holes in news stories and articles, he helps to keep NMG accountable.
“My regular comments as regards errors are made with the objective of preventing their recurrence — and as a hobby,” he said. “I have never wanted to be seen to be pontificating and moralising on errors for I am not infallible. I look forward to a fruitful and constructive engagement with your office.”
There is no doubt about that. The Public Editor is a fellow traveller. And Mr Mwirichia is not fighting windmills. Errors are the greatest cause for complaints to the Public Editor.
Newspapers make three types of errors that irritate readers: typographical, fact-based, and errors of meaning. Mr Mwirichia seems to be particularly concerned about errors of meaning. One of his peeves is the use of the word “historical” when “historic” is intended.
“The word historical refers to events that occurred in the past. The fact that I was born in Meru county is historical but not historic. Events that happened in the past become historic because of their impact on the society. For example, the fact that Nelson Mandela was jailed for 27 years in South Africa is historic because of the impact that it had on the liberation struggles waged by the people in the Rainbow Nation fighting to free themselves from the bondage of apartheid,” he said.
“It is, therefore, utterly bizarre that the media you represent incessantly and invariably talk about historic injustice meted out on Kenyans since 1963. The fact that the injustice happened in the past and hence is historical is patently clear to all and sundry but not important.”
He is also particularly irked when writers use the term “severally”. For example, in “Four things that make you the best city wife” (Saturday Nation, April 25, 2015) City Girl writes: “I have declared severally on this platform that a married woman’s investigative skills can make the entire CIA blush with embarrassment.” Mr Mwirichia maintains, rightly, “severally” means “separately”, “singly”, “independently” or “respectively”.
It does not mean “several times”. He is also infuriated when idioms are misused, for example when the Daily Nation of February 19 carried the front-page headline “Chickens have come home to roost”.
The idiom, he said, means that you have to face the consequences of past actions. “I cringed at seeing it! If the editor wanted to use the idiom they should have used it correctly, otherwise not used it at all,” he said.
“This shows a cavalier and lackadaisical attitude on the part of the editor who ought to act as a gatekeeper.”
He is equally concerned about factual errors. For example on May 2, he wrote: “On page 2 of today’s Saturday Nation there is a news item entitled “Parents of suspect call for his arrest”. The reporter in the second paragraph says the suspect is 22 years old. Later the reporter writes that he was born in 1991! Surely that is balderdash. It shows someone deficient in numeracy skills. The editor should also have picked this glaring error.”
Mr Mwirichia catches errors that have escaped the notice of editors. He plays an important role. When errors go undetected and uncorrected, they harm journalistic integrity and credibility and they can take a life of their own, like the infamous Kenyan expression “My names are…” The Public Editor welcomes more readers like Mr Mwirichia.
Send your complaints to [email protected]. Mobile 0721989264
