This archive report was first published on 10 September 2019.
Published on September 10, 2019, Yvonne Okwara, a seasoned Citizen TV news anchor, shared a harrowing account of her first TV interview gone wrong.
Okwara's revelation came after Inooro TV reporter Victor Kinuthia faced online backlash for a live reporting mishap.
She took to Twitter to share her 2012 interview with a Member of Parliament, which she had kept private until then.
"The year was 2012/13. I had been doing prime-time news for only a few months, and my co-anchor was Ndungu wa Mburu," she recalled.
Okwara admitted that she was not adequately prepared for the interview, which quickly spiralled out of control.
"I could feel my phone vibrating like mad. Twitter notifications in their hundreds. SMS coming through. Massacre!" she exclaimed.
Her colleagues were reportedly upset, while those in other media houses were dismayed by her performance.
Okwara became the subject of online ridicule, with netizens questioning her qualifications for the job.
"I'm trending on Twitter. Words like 'bimbo', 'slay queen', 'nothing between her ears', 'hired for her looks, not her brains'," she wrote.
Despite the embarrassment, Okwara still had to host the news bulletin that night.
"My Face is hot. I'm embarrassed but I push it through. It's only Monday, so I will have to anchor news the rest of the week with this hanging over my head!"
Her boss, Joe Ageyo, sent her an encouraging message, which helped her to bounce back.
Okwara credited that experience with helping her to grow as a journalist and ultimately land where she is today.
