When journalists stop following stories, accountability and public trust weaken

The recent conviction of former Migori Governor Okoth Obado and two other people for the murder of Ms Sharon Otieno concluded a story that first broke in 2018 when the university student was killed. The media stayed on it at every stage, an excellent illustration of follow-up journalism.

It could be argued, perhaps rightly, that the consistent coverage of the Sharon Otieno murder case was because of the prominence of the person at the centre of the crime.

It could also be argued that court cases are easy to track because sessions usually end with a notice of the next hearing or mention date. But it still takes a well-organised journalist or editor to keep a record of the dates and ensure coverage.

Regrettably, effective follow-up on stories is an exception rather than the norm for most media outlets, including the Nation Media Group. Scores of murders, crimes, calamities and other issues have made headlines, but fizzled out as fast as they came to light.

Unfortunately, in the absence of media scrutiny, investigations sometimes get compromised or dropped altogether, denying the victims and their families justice. Promises of help in cases of calamities go unfulfilled, and people in positions of responsibility evade accountability.

When the media publishes or broadcasts a story, it enters an unwritten contract with the audience. It informs the audience that the issue being covered is important enough for attention and creates an expectation of its resolution.

The audience wants to know if a crime was solved, or if, when, and how justice was served. When the journalist fails to follow up a story, it leaves the audience in the dark. The facts are left hanging, and expectations remain unmet. The reader, viewer, or listener feels cheated and could lose trust in the media house.

Take the story of the former energy agency boss, who was accused of torturing employees. In what sounded like a plot of a horror movie, Nation platforms reported that police were investigating a report that a former boss of an energy agency had tortured his employees.