Unethical adverts should not be allowed in reputable newspapers

A shopkeeper reads a newspaper in Mombasa on August 6, 2016. Daily Nation does not promote unethical adverts. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Clifford Machoka, head of corporate and regulatory affairs, issued a statement the same day apologising for the error.

Last time I wrote about suspect advertisements was on January 8 this year when a reader complained that, acting on a car-hire classified advertisement in the Daily Nation, he paid Sh4,000 upfront but never got the car as the telephone numbers given went dead after he paid the money.

The NMG advertising department said they had blacklisted the advertiser following complaints from other readers.

Last Friday an audacious advert that has both perplexed and bemused readers appeared.

“Join corruption cartels and win government supply tenders without sweat”, the ad said, giving a phone number to call.

I was bombarded by readers who, rightly, could not believe that NMG would allow the publication of such an unethical ad.

The shameless ad, published on page 64 of the Daily Nation of November 25, went viral and was carried as news by the BBC.

Davis Malombe, the deputy executive director of the Kenya Human Rights Commission, pretty well summed up the outrage.

“Sir, how did this escape your hawk-eyed editorial board? It is contrary to public policy and interest and inimical to your progressive editorial policy and the prolific work the newspaper/media house has been doing in the fight against corruption. Kindly intervene.”

The NMG management was quick to act. 

Clifford Machoka, head of corporate and regulatory affairs, issued a statement the same day apologising for the error.

“NMG does not support or condone such advertisement which clearly goes against our mission to positively impact society’s values and our editorial policy. We have taken immediate action to blacklist the agent and are reviewing our internal procedures to ensure that such an error never recurs.”

ACTIONS TAKEN
James Sogoti of the NMG advertising department tells me they have put in place a raft of measures that will make it difficult, if not impossible, for such an ad to be published again in NMG newspapers. 

First, all automated ads — classifieds can be booked via a mobile phone in two simple steps — will be reviewed by a team of customer service executives.

Second, the business manager will manually check, edit, or remove all suspicious adverts.

Third, there will be timelines to control what appears in the paper the following day.

Ads that are booked after 4 pm will be held over for the next edition.

Fourth, the department will block some sensitive key words or flag any suspicious content for approval by the commercial manager.

“We are working on a system upgrade that will allow auto rejection of key words, auto email alerts on all ads booked via SMS for checking by a larger team,” Mr Sogoti says.

*****

Fidel Castro did not step down in 2006.

The Nation provided comprehensive coverage of the death of the Cuban revolutionary leader who stood by Africa in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

Many readers were regaled with the coverage but were irritated by the November 27 Sunday Nation editorial, which they said left a lot to be desired because of facts, grammar, and writing style.

Dr Patrick Mbataru of Kenyatta University and Harun Amollo from Mombasa were needled by the statement in the editorial that Castro “stepped down in 2006 during the reign of President Barack Obama”.

Obama assumed office on January 20, 2009.

The online Nation corrected the error and added this notification: “This editorial has been corrected to reflect that Fidel Castro stepped down from office in 2006 during the presidency of George W. Bush”.

The statement is still incorrect. To step down is to resign.

Fidel Castro stepped down on February 19, 2008, as the president of Cuba after a long illness. 

The announcement of resignation was made in a letter written by Castro himself and published in the online edition of the Communist Party daily, Granma.

Castro had temporarily ceded power to the vice-president, his brother Raúl Castro, after undergoing intestinal surgery in July 2006. He was on medical leave.

Email your complaints to [email protected], or text or 0721 989 264.