What NTV viewers expect from the guests and host of 'AM Live'

The talk show was a free-for-all. Noisy, boisterous and heated.

Talk show host Debarl Inea had difficulty controlling the guests. There were shouts such as “No, no, no”, “You cannot stop reggae”, “If they do not smell the coffee it is getting late”, “You’re still playing games”, and so on, delivered with impassioned gesticulations.

I’m referring to this Monday morning’s 7-8 o’clock segment of the NTV talk show, "AM Live".

The guests were University of Nairobi lecturer Herman Manyora, Kitutu Chache MP Richard Onyonka, Uasin Gishu Woman Rep Gladys Shollei Boss and Senators Okong’o O’Mogeni (Nyamira) and Samuel Poghisio (West Pokot).

Mr Poghisio was the only guest who kept his cool while Ms Boss was lawyerly but loud and forceful. As for the others, the least said the better.

Debarl was very early in the show sucked into the fracas. At one time he tells Prof Manyora: “You were not even privy to what they (“like-minded” Jubilee MPs meeting over the weekend in Naivasha) were discussing.”

HEATED DEBATE

Prof Manyora responds: “I know … I am intelligent (enough) to read things… It’s a political talk show. Why do you call us here?” Debarl retorts: “We’re not here to read things. We’re here to give facts, not innuendos.”

In getting the guests to discuss Deputy President William Ruto’s recent statement that before the ‘Handshake’, Raila Odinga had approached him (which Mr Odinga has since denied), and that he was aware of “people here who are ready to come and open the ICC (International Criminal Court) cases”, Debarl stirs the pot: “You have somebody in the stature of the deputy president, who is lying through his teeth, as far as these pronouncements are concerned. Why would the DP be actually commenting on such a subject? Is it because he wants to use reverse psychology to gain sympathy from the public?”

Ms Boss, agitated, tells Debarl he must apologise for saying the DP is “lying through his teeth”. She says: “You must apologise. I will tell your producer about it. You have to apologise.”

Other guests join in the fray, trying to gang up against Ms Boss — with the help of the talk show host.

“No, no, no. Now you are making excuses for him,” Ms Boss tells Debarl. “How can you make excuses for one man (Odinga) and another man you vilify him (Ruto)? It shows there is unfairness and there is bias here… I think as the anchor of this show to cast aspersions when we are in the middle of the show is unfair.”

EDITORIAL POLICY

With regard to the ICC issue, Debarl retorts: “No, no, no. But I didn’t make a statement.”

Ms Boss insists: “No, you cast aspersions.” Debarl then says: “No, no, no. Shollei, you can’t tell me how to run my show. I asked a question. It is not a statement that I have made.”

Shollei shoots back: “It’s a leading question.” Mr Onyonka then intervenes: “I think, Debarl, if there is an issue (she) can actually raise the issue with his lawyers.”

Finally, after one hour of acrimonious debate, Debarl winds up the show. “Now we leave you with this quarrel of the day... We will have breakfast and make amends,” he tells viewers.

The show may have been entertaining, but it offered precious little information or opinions viewers can rely on or trust.

It ran counter to the NMG editorial policy, which encourages editors to publish material that gives audiences “freshness of perspective or new information”, and in a manner that is “sober, balanced and not strident or shrill”.

It also requires editors to publish material that brings out the truth “so far as this can be established”.

ETHICS

The show was hardly of any value as a source of information and informed opinion to viewers.

It also breached journalism ethics and practices, including not allowing talk show contributors to freely give false information without being challenged and vilifying people who are not present to defend themselves.

The show was, indeed, full of sound and fury. The drama, accusations, counter-accusations, hyperbole and heated controversies did not benefit the viewer.

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