The newsroom of the future is here, but it demands a new set of rules. The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has launched a critical training initiative to equip journalists with the skills to navigate the ethical minefield of Artificial Intelligence.

Speaking at a capacity-building forum in Kajiado, MCK Director for Media Training and Development Victor Bwire issued a clarion call to the Fourth Estate. He urged journalists to embrace emerging technologies without sacrificing the bedrock principles of the profession: truth, accuracy, and independence. The training, which drew participants from Kajiado and Machakos counties, comes at a time when AI is rapidly reshaping how news is gathered, produced, and consumed.

Balancing Innovation and Integrity

MCK Manager for Media Monitoring and Research, Dinnah Ondari, emphasized that while AI offers tools for efficiency, it must be wielded with caution."Publishing content generated with AI without disclosure is contrary to the MCK Code of Conduct," she warned. The council is adamant that transparency is non-negotiable; audiences have a right to know if their news was written by a human or a machine.

The sessions also tackled the darker side of digital convergence.Rebecca Mutiso, MCK Manager for Accreditation and Compliance, highlighted the rise of technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Female journalists, often the targets of vicious online campaigns, were trained on digital security measures to protect their work and their wellbeing.

• Transparency First: Journalists must disclose the use of AI in content creation to maintain public trust.
• Verification is Key: In an era of deepfakes, the duty to verify facts is more critical than ever.
• Safety Protocols: New guidelines were introduced to help journalists handle online harassment and digital threats.

The Human Element

The underlying message of the training was clear: AI is a tool, not a replacement. The human judgment, empathy, and contextual understanding that a journalist brings to a story cannot be replicated by an algorithm. The MCK's initiative is a proactive step to ensure that Kenyan media remains credible and relevant in a digitized world.

As the participants return to their newsrooms, they carry a dual responsibility. They must innovate to survive, but they must also guard the integrity of the information ecosystem. In the battle against misinformation, the ethical journalist remains the most effective weapon.