Answering tough questions on Kenyan TV; Super park tour

My colleague Gloria Laker and I appeared on “Good Morning Kenya” today on KBS-TV, the state broadcaster. We discussed our current peace journalism project, and the importance of peace journalism in Kenya given the media-induced upheaval that occurred here in late 2007 and early 2008. One tough but fair question: given that American media is so flawed, how can I come here and show Kenyans “the right way” to practice journalism? My response: Yes, American media is flawed, and often does not practice responsible peace journalism. No, I am not personally responsible for American media or its flaws. Yes, peace journalism can teach reporters how to more professionally report conflicts in the U.S., Kenya, Uganda, and everywhere else. No, I am not force feeding “the right way” to anyone, but instead offering journalists who attend my seminars a buffet of information from which they can select useful, applicable tips.

Our second Kenyan peace journalism seminar starts tomorrow.

Later in the day, Gloria (pictured) and I toured the marvelous Nairobi National Park, where we communed with giraffes, crocs, impalas, ostriches, and buffaloes. (Click here for photo album). I found it interesting that the park is literally on the outskirts of Nairobi, and thus is framed by apartment buildings and office complexes. Airplanes frequently soared overhead, illustrating a stark contrast between the ancient and the modern.