The Media Council of Kenya will on Friday meet various stakeholders to end the challenge of fraudsters who are masquerading as journalists.
The CEO David Omwoyo in a statement on Thursday said the meeting is a result of an increase in the number of fraudsters who claim to be journalists to extort and harass people.
“It has come to our attention that there is an escalation of fraudsters masquerading as journalists and media practitioners who get access to events to extort and harass people,” Omwoyo said.
The meeting according to MCK will provide a platform to deliberate on the matter and come up with practical measures for the problem while at the same time enhancing professionalism.
This, Omwoyo said, will also help deal with the rising cases of fraudsters posing as journalists.
“The council is committed to fostering a conducive working environment for journalists and media practitioners through improved standards and constantly engaging relevant stakeholders to address pertinent issues,” he said.
Omwoyo reiterated the council's commitment to protecting the image and credibility of the media industry, noting that they will ensure only accredited journalists are allowed to practice in the country.
MCK is a body charged with the responsibility of promoting high professional standards amongst journalists in Kenya.
The council accredits both local and foreign journalists by certifying their competence, authority or credibility against official standards based on the quality and training of journalists in Kenya.
This includes maintaining a register of journalists and issuance of such documents as evidence that the journalist is duly accredited.
The mandate of MCK is to register and accredit journalists, register media establishments, handle complaints from the public and create and publish yearly media audits on Media Freedom in Kenya.