Friday, October 25, 2013

US defends Kenyan journalists over Westgate coverage

Kenyan army soldiers light candles during a 24-hour prayer vigil for victims of the Westgate mall massacre near the Westgate Mall on September 28, 2013 in Nairobi. The United States has urged the Kenyan government to protect "rights to freedom of the Press." Photo/AFP

By KEVIN J. KELLEYMore by this Author

The United States urged the Kenyan government on Thursday to protect "rights to freedom of the Press."

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf made the comment in response to a reporter's question about the US view of Kenyan authorities' threats to prosecute journalists for their coverage of officials' handling of the Westgate attack.

"We believe in Kenya, as we do everywhere, that a free and independent media is a critical element of a vibrant democracy," Ms Harf said.

She was also asked whether the Kenyan government's threats to prosecute journalists would influence the US response to the effort at the UN to defer the Hague cases against Kenya's leaders.

"Not to my knowledge," Ms Harf replied. "I’ll check in with our folks who are actually reviewing their proposal right now."

'FORCED PATRIOTISM'
Also on Thursday, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists called the Kenyan authorities' crackdown on the media an attempt at "forced patriotism" that potentially signified "a downward spiral of Press freedom" in Kenya.

A Nairobi-based consultant for the advocacy group compared the Kenyan government's intimidation to the "self-censorship (that) took hold of the American press in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack."

The result, consultant Tom Rhodes added, was that "few questioned the lack of evidence to justify invading Iraq."
"It would appear authorities in Kenya expect similar broad, unquestioning media support for their handling of terrorist attacks here," Mr Rhodes observed.