This archive report was first published on 9 June 2020.
Kenya's Media Houses Under Attack from Fake News ¶
Kenya's top media houses have been targeted by fake news, with fabricated content designed to deceive and harm individuals, groups, and communities.
According to UNESCO, the purveyors of disinformation prey on the vulnerability or partisan potential of recipients, seeking to enlist them as amplifiers and multipliers of their messages.
On May 30, The Star newspaper was targeted, with a fabrication of its front page shared on social media. The original print of the front page read 'Uhuru to make final decision on Duale,' while the fake version read 'Ruto's Ksh 3B Payout.'
On May 28, The Star suffered another blow, with its front page manipulated to read 'The double agent' instead of the legitimate headline 'Safaricom boss: why I climbed Mt Kilimanjaro.'
On May 27, The Standard newspaper was also targeted, with its front page manipulated to read 'Rachel in Hiding?' instead of the legitimate cover story about former Prime Minister Raila Odinga speaking about collaborating with President Uhuru Kenyatta in a government of national unity.
These incidents highlight the growing concern of fake news targeting media houses in Kenya.
