Peace but at what cost? Media coverage of elections and conflict in Kenya

For all of its dynamism, the Kenyan media has faced major challenges during the process of democratization. In 2007–08, when Kenya suffered widespread ethnic clashes following a controversial election, the mainstream media found that existing protocols were insufficient to manage their coverage of the political crisis. This chapter investigates the response of journalists and policy makers to these events and, in particular, how the rise of ‘peaceocracy’—the idea that peace and stability must be promoted above all else—undermined the capacity of the media to speak freely and act in defence of democracy. We do this through interviews with those involved and a focus on the way that those who work in the media think about their role and navigate between different models of journalism.