Should Mutuma still write his punchy and pungent op-eds?

Mr Mutuma Mathiu. He is the Nation Media Group Editorial Director. He is the guardian of the public trust. PHOTO | WILLIAM OERI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • He should avoid any practice or conduct that suggests that he is compromising NMG’s objectivity or fairness.
  • To avoid any finger-pointing, Mutuma should steer clear of op-eds that may seem to compromise his impartiality.

The idea of creating a corner for non-journalists to air their opinions was conceived in 1921. But it was in 1970 when the New York Times created the modern op-ed pages, which other newspapers have adopted.

Op-ed is short for “opinion editorial” or “opposite the editorial page”, as op-eds are usually printed next to the editorial and in following pages.

But an op-ed is defined as an article that expresses the opinion of the writer. It’s different from the editorial, which expresses the opinion of the newspaper.

In the Nation Media Group, editorials are regarded as the flagship of its various newspapers and the authoritative voice of the group.

They are required to base their conclusions on “demonstrable and comprehensive research”.

PROMOTION

They are also required to be balanced, constructive, and informative. And they shouldn’t be spiteful, prejudiced, propagandist, extremist, intemperate or inflammatory.

Op-eds, on the other hand, can be pungent. Some of the most popular are pungent, witty, entertaining.

One of the most popular NMG op-ed columnists is Mutuma Mathiu. He writes in Friday’s Daily Nation.

He has a reputation of getting at the guts of a subject and not pulling his punches.

When Mutuma was promoted to Group Editorial Director, he expressed misgivings about continuing his column.

“I have written a column weekly [more or less] since college. How will readers tell the difference between my opinion and that of the organisation I work for? If I can’t express myself [honestly], is there any point to write at all?” he said in his column of January 4.

READERS

Mutuma has a huge base of loyal fans. Should he continue writing his column?

Nicholas Mitalo says Mutuma has been the reason why he buys the Friday Nation, because of his stinging commentaries.

“He writes angrily as he comments on current social, economic, political and environmental issues,” says Mr Mitalo. “We hope we will continue to read from him.”

Charles Kamanga says: “I feel as if I’ve known him all along, thanks to his great use of flowing and enchanting words to convey his messages in his column…. I would encourage him to continue writing; he has good following out here.”

Another fan, Githuku Mungai, queries Mutuma’s misgivings.

“Can there really be a problem if he continues to write? Probably the public editor can let us know,” he says.

VALUES

There can be a problem — four problem areas, in fact. I’ll mention only the most critical.

Image is everything. One of NMG’s core values is impartiality. This is essential for NMG to win the trust of its audience.

As the Editorial Director, Mutuma is the guardian of the public trust.

He shouldn’t do anything that would seem to compromise that trust. He shouldn’t write op-eds that suggest bias against some people or things.

He should avoid any practice or conduct that suggests that he is compromising NMG’s objectivity or fairness.

As the chief editorial gatekeeper, he must not give the impression his personal likes or dislikes can influence NMG content.

IMPARTIAL

There is the danger of readers mistaking his views for those of the newspaper, or thinking his views might influence what gets reported and how it’s presented.

Perception is often more important than reality. Take the following paragraph from an op-ed of December 7, titled To end Nairobi traffic woes, let’s put the right brains in City Hall: “Can I ask Mike Sonko Mbuvi to give me back my vote? The unwise decision to vote for him, a hasty reaction to former Governor Evans Kidero’s dismal performance and a calculation that none of the other candidates could win, is one I regret everyday I spend in the traffic,” he wrote.

No matter how incisive his observations are, Governor Sonko and his supporters may believe that NMG, with Mutuma at the top of editorial, will not be fair to him in covering Nairobi County affairs.

To avoid any finger-pointing, Mutuma should steer clear of op-eds that may seem to compromise his impartiality.

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