This archive report was first published on 21 May 2020.
On April 24, the Business Daily published an article titled 'Meat and dairy are disappearing from Kenyan diets', which included an interview with Janette Wambui, the owner of Vegan Kenya.
However, the article was later found to have quoted Ms. Wambui out of context, leading to a complaint from her. The article stated that she had been a vegan for 30 years, but in reality, she had only avoided red meat and animal milk for that duration.
Ms. Wambui explained that the quotes attributed to her were taken from different parts of their conversation and could be misinterpreted when taken out of context. She emphasized that the article had misrepresented her message and cast a negative shadow on her credibility.
This incident highlights the importance of accurate reporting in journalism. Quoting someone out of context can lead to a not-correctly-reported story, and it's easy for this to happen. On May 5, NTV reported Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe as saying that people were going to eateries to order one sausage with two beers, but in reality, he had made a statement that was full of hyperbole.
Mr. Kagwe's statement was later found to be taken out of context, and it was reported that he had said, 'It's a fact of life people have been going to pubs or to eateries. They order one sausage with two beers. They eat that one sausage. Anakula hio soseji na bia mbili. Anatoka hapo anaingia hoteli ingine; huko anakula bia nyigine na soseji ingine moja. Anaingia ingine, anauliza chungwa. Sasa ni desati, na ingine bia…'
As a result of this incident, it's essential for journalists to remember that without the surrounding words or circumstances, quotations can lead to a not-correctly-reported story. This is a valuable lesson in journalism, and it's crucial to get the facts right.
