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To promote the ideals of diversity within and through the
media.
To work towards strengthening the liberty, quality, variety,
and integrity of mass media in Kenya.
Although the twenty first century has by and large been
seen as the age of advancement in many areas of human life,
nations, communities and social groupings of all kinds are
still faced with the complex issue of managing diversity
within society. In many instances, the conflicts and tensions
among people are mainly due to the fact that people are
not ready to embrace diversity and the particular differences
that are manifest in human relations.
Diversity manifests in many ways: race, ethnicity, gender,
physical abilities, sexual orientation, religious beliefs,
income/wealth, educational background and so on. On the one
hand, diversity can inspire creativity, social and economic
progress, vibrant communities, and a richness of life. However,
diversity also engenders suspicion, fear, discrimination,
repression, and violent conflict. Tribal and ethnic based
conflicts in most parts of Eastern Africa can be seen in the
same light.
Yet despite the difficulties inherent in managing diversity,
there are ways through which these issues can begin to be addressed.
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For instance, a journalism that is driven by the desire
for tolerance and a strong humanistic spirit is one such entry
point. Journalists and media organizations hold a unique power
for realizing more understanding and accommodation among different
groups of people.
Through their actions, they can help each and every group
in society gain visibility and be heard. They can strengthen
or weaken stereotypes by providing multidimensional or simplistic
representations of different ethnic, racial and religious
communities.They can foster social tensions and conflicts
- or define areas of common ground. They can also provide
a useful platform for realizing democracy and guarantee freedom
of expression for all in society. But this is only realizable
when the mass media is free, professional, embraces and gives
space to all voices in society without discrimination and
prioritizes variety and diversity as key principles.
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