The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) is set to introduce digital watermarking for accredited podcasts and online channels in a decisive move to distinguish credible professional journalism from the rising flood of digital disinformation.
This powerful initiative will equip audiences with a clear, trustworthy mark of accreditation, signalling strict adherence to industry standards and ethical guidelines.
By applying visible or embedded watermarks to compliant platforms, MCK seeks to restore trust in Kenya’s digital ecosystem and empower users to confidently identify reliable sources amid pervasive misinformation.
How MCK plans to protect integrity in online spaces
MCK Chief Executive Officer (CEO) David Omwoyo emphasised the critical need to protect integrity in online spaces.
The council, Omwoyo said, will accredit professional digital platforms and issue watermarks to those that formally commit to the Code of Conduct for Media Practice and the Media Council Act of 2013.
“We will watermark the accreditation symbol on podcast channels and other digital platforms that operate professionally, once they sign a commitment to uphold the Code of Conduct and comply with the Media Council Act,” he told the nomination panel for the Annual Media Excellence Awards (AMEA).
Omwoyo highlighted the alarming growth of disinformation on digital platforms and the urgent demand for ethical standards in private content creation.
“The shifting media landscape requires us to embed ethics in these platforms, ensuring the right of reply and thorough verification of information,” he said.
He observed a major industry transition, with content creators increasingly bypassing traditional media houses for big tech platforms’ distribution and monetisation opportunities.
“Promoting ethical, credible content will empower journalists navigating this shift into independent digital spaces,” he said.
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Meanwhile, the CEO announced that MCK has invited senior officials from major tech companies and editors from across Africa to the Pan-African Media Summit in May, creating a vital platform for discussions on content creation, regulation, and sustainable monetisation.
On the AMEA, Omwoyo commended the judges’ consistent rigour, which has strengthened the awards’ credibility, sustainability, and integrity.
He spotlighted new categories recognising teamwork in journalism.
“We aim to better honour the collective effort behind every story while celebrating the media houses that support it,” he explained.
He clarified that political reporting inherently addresses governance issues, with its language already reflecting such concerns, making a dedicated category redundant.
Omwoyo further stressed linguistic consistency in multimedia storytelling, warning that mismatches between reporters’ language and sources can reduce clarity and hinder global reach.
The Council has launched targeted training on the Code of Conduct for Media Practice for university and college lecturers in journalism and media programmes.
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Nomination panel chair Wanyama Chebusiri noted submission gaps, particularly in incisive political interviews, and reinforced the need for stronger language consistency in broadcasts.
“Stories in English paired with Kiswahili clips limit scalability beyond Kenya and competitiveness on platforms like BBC or CNN awards,” he observed.
The nine judges reviewed 711 entries, advancing the strongest to the final judging phase for category winners.
The Annual Media Excellence Awards, a signature event of the MCK, continue to champion outstanding journalism and media innovation in Kenya, celebrating excellence in a rapidly evolving landscape
