By Dickson Mwiti
Journalists drawn from Igambang’ombe Press Team in Tharaka Nithi County on Friday February 13 marked World Radio Day by visiting Kibumbu Small Home, a centre that hosts children living with physical disabilities.
During the visit, the journalists donated foodstuffs and other essential items to support the children describing the gesture as part of their social responsibility to give back to the community.
The event that was marked with celebration that blended with community service and the future of broadcasting also highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in modern journalism in line with this year’s World Radio Day theme, “Radio and AI,”.
Speaking during the celebration, Igambang’ombe Press Team Chairman Blaise Gitonga said while artificial intelligence has become a widely used tool, it should complement and not replace the traditional media operations.
“As we celebrate World Radio Day under the theme ‘Radio and AI,’ we recognize that AI is a tool that has been used widely however Journalists should embrace it to enhance their work and journalistic features, but it should not replace media stations,” he said.
Gitonga cautioned that AI can also be misused, particularly in the creation and spread of misinformation and hate content on social media platforms.
He urged members of the public to be vigilant and learn how to distinguish between content and news generated by professional journalists and that created using artificial intelligence tools.
“People should be keen when consuming information online they need to know the difference between content created by journalists and that which is generated using AI, especially posts that may incite hate within the community or spread misinformation,” he added.
At the same time Journalist Mary Gitonga echoed the sentiments, emphasizing the need for ethical reporting in an era where technology can easily distort facts.
“Listeners should be careful because AI can be used to divert information or spread content that is not true. As journalists, we are guided by ethics to ensure the information we share is accurate and verified,” she said.
County Assembly Speaker John Mbaabu lauded the journalists for demonstrating humanity by visiting the children’s home as part of the celebrations.
“It shows good humanity to see journalists visiting Kibumbu Small Home. Radio is like a mirror of society because it informs the community about what is happening,” he said.
Mbaabu urged leaders to use radio responsibly to promote peace and highlight development initiatives that benefit the community and not to fuel division especially as we near the general election.
He further called on journalists to remain neutral and avoid political manipulation.
“Journalists should not be biased. They must report the truth without leaning on one side. They should not allow themselves to be misused by politicians, as biased reporting can create a negative image in society,” he cautioned.
World Radio Day is celebrated annually on February 13 to recognize the power of radio as a platform that informs, educates and unites communities across the globe.
Edited by Dorcas Linchore
