Report: Media experts needed for major events

The Rio Olympics Probe Committee has recommended that instead of having one media officer at major championships like the Olympic Games, Kenya must constitute a full-fledged communications department to ensure proper delivery of information to news media.

The committee further recommends that the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) borrows a leaf from establish organisations like the USA Olympic Committee that has a well-manned communication division.

“The USA track team alone had four designated press attaches in Rio,” said the report, adding that the Nock communication department should have seasoned media experts with a fine grasp of the Olympic events and Kenyan athletes.

The report suggests the Kenyan Olympic steering committee should consider making it a constant to have at least five journalists from different media houses in Team Kenya’s media pool and that the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya can be useful in selecting such journalists.

Further Nock and Team Kenya are advised to consider reprimanding athletes who blatantly refuse to speak to the media as an obligation. It recommends that national broadcaster should consider handing down rights to other Kenyan channels to allow them cover the Olympic Games.

“In other countries, sportsmen and women land hefty fines for failing to meet their media obligations and refusing to speak to the media,” said the report.

Team Kenya athletes must be taken through mandatory media training sessions to help them appreciate the role of the media and the impotence of giving information to the media.