Public Perception of Parliament Broadcasting in Kenya: Towards Altering Mutual Attitude and Augmenting Knowledge
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Date
2014
Authors
Wandera, Sande
Mugubi, John
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
American Research Institute for Policy Development
Abstract
A major problem faced by many countries where Parliamentary democracy is
developing, is lack of public knowledge and awareness about the functions of
Parliaments and their mode of operation (Miller, 2008; IPU, 2006; Bouchet &
Kariithi, 2003). The lack of awareness is said to be accompanied by a general public
opinion that Parliament is an opaque institution devoid of transparency and
accountability (USAID, 2010; Bouchet &Kariithi, 2003). It is from this background
that the concept of live parliament broadcasting was born; the argument being that
live parliament broadcasting would engender a channel of communication – an
unadulterated channel free from interventions of media owners and media
professionals - between the public and politicians. It was believed that such an avenue
would lead to greater public awareness and appreciation of the work of Parliament,
better public attitude and perception towards parliament, involvement of the public
more in Parliamentary debates, hence helping in making politicians more accountable
(Miller, 2008; Franks & Vandermark, 1995; Wober, 1990). Miller (2008) quotes a
contemporary British Conservative politician, Norman St. John-Stevas, who claims
that: "To televise parliament would, at a stroke, restore any loss it has suffered to the
new mass media as the political education of the nation." It is in this regard that this
paper tries to find out the effects of live parliament broadcasts in Kenya on public
knowledge across the social strata. It also investigates the effects of these broadcasts
on public attitude and perception about parliament and its work. The paper further
assesses broadcasting practices that could help improve live parliament broadcasting
in Kenya.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Citation
International Journal of Art and Art History Vol. 2, No. 1; March 2014