POWER AND ROT OF MEDIA: LESSONS FROM LONDON’S NEWS OF THE WORLD

I have met individuals who do not watch television or read newspapers. Others say media is a waste of time; that it is propaganda by those who own the world; control our minds and sell us stuff we don’t like.

Some say they admire former President Nyerere for delaying television in Tanzania.  For young people born post 1990, television is obvious but not us who grew up under Ujamaa and experienced television late.

A few days ago an old school mate visiting London touched on the same subject:

“Remember when we first saw television in Nairobi in 1971? At that time we hated Ujamaa and Nyerere. Now looking back the old man was right. How can a peasant living in a village thatch without enough food and electricity afford a television set?”

Yes. Arguments against television vary.

Powerful billionaire media chief, Rupert Mudoch

ADULTERY, THE INJUNCTION LAW AND HOW CITIZEN’S MEDIA IS CHANGING OUR WORLD...

 I have learnt some new interesting English words, recently.

 Normally I expand my vocabulary through novels, films, newspapers and people’s speech. First is injunction which according to the Oxford dictionary, means “an order saying that someone must or must not carry out a certain action.”

Injunction is synonymous with ruling, directive, command, instruction and mandate. In Kiswahili it is simply, “amri ya kisheria iliyoandikwa” and “amri ya kukataza.”

Then there is tweet and twit.  Tweeting is a chirp of a young bird; while twit indicates a silly person and an informal way of “teasing good-humouredly.”   

Three weeks ago a very pretty glamour model from Wales, called Imogen Thomas started appearing frequently in the press.  One paper said a famous, respected, married footballer had won a super injunction to prevent Imogen from exposing his affair with the model.

Imagen Thomas - pic from Bing..

The word, gagging order, was also used. Gagging is a piece of cloth put on someone’s mouth to stop them from speaking.

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