Friday, January 27, 2023 –Quack journalists in the country have been put on the spot by the regulator following a surge in numbers of those practicing without required academic threshold.
The Media Council of Kenya MCK on Friday, January 27, made an official notice to recall all press cards from members.
These cards, usually issued annually, are used by practicing journalists to work countrywide in the field for various media stations.
The decision to review the standards is aimed at trimming out the growing cases of poor journalism and practices in the industry.
The market, according to the council, is invaded by fraudsters who masquerade as trained journalists with an aim of threatening and conning sources.
MCK Chief Executive Officer CEO David Omwoyo told the media that there is going to be rolled out new cards which will have more security features.
These cards will have QR codes and bar codes that will help identify authenticity of those practicing the profession.
“Media Council of Kenya to recall all accreditation cards in a bid to contain fraudsters posing as journalists.
“New Press Cards have additional features including a barcode and QR code that can be scanned using any smartphone,” MCK announced on Thursday January 26.
When this change will be affected was not officially announced but the council indicated that there will be a comprehensive statement on the matter.