The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has flagged as fake a notice to media houses warning them against sensational and inflammatory reporting.
"Please be aware that the claim circulating about the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) cautioning media houses against inflammatory reporting is fake. Always verify information from official MCK sources," the statement read.
In the fake notice purportedly signed by the MCK Registrar of Complaints Commission, Eric Ngaria, a warning was specifically sent to the Standard Group for sensational headlines threatening censure.
"MCK reminds all media practitioners that press freedom comes with a duty to report accurately, fairly, and responsibly," the fake notice read.
"Recent patterns of unverified claims and provocative headlines have raised concerns about ethical violations in political and economic reporting."
It also outlined three directives to all media houses in order to maintain professional standards.
Media houses were urged to ensure they backed their claims before reporting, avoid sensational headlines, and balance political coverage to prevent bias or manipulation.
The statement concluded with a call on all media houses to prioritise factual reporting and refrain from content that might incite divisions or erode public trust in institutions.
Although it bore the MCK logo, the document also had several spelling errors raising clear concerns over its authenticity.
Over the past few weeks, both Kenyans online and subjects of news articles have raised concerns over news headlines, especially on the front pages of local dailies.
Just a day ago, the Sunday Nation caused a stir after a headline quoting former Prime Minister Raila Odinga purporting that he had saved President William Ruto from a military coup during the Gen-Z protests of June 2024.
The headline, Raila: I saved Ruto from military coup, was not the only piece that raised eyebrows as a news piece in the same issue about Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament Peter Kaluma threatened legal action over an editorial cartoon depicting him.
