WHY MASCULINITY HAS GAINED PROMINENCE IN THE KENYAN MEDIA

She starred straight across the court room. She seemed remorseful. It was not  clear whether she truly sorry for her actions or it was the guilt and weight of the events of the last 24 hours that had given her national prominence. When she had arrived the court hours earlier crowds had bayed for her blood. Her crime of passion being that she had chopped off her husband’s manhood for coming home late drank and getting a condom in his pocket.  It was hard to read what was going on in her mind even as the court later released her on the Ksh 20,000 bail.

Weeks later another man from the same region suffered the same fate.  Weeks earlier coincidentally several T.V interviews, radio talks show and articles had started featuring masculinity.  Indeed masculinity has gain prominence in the Kenyan media.

 What are the reasons for increased coverage of masculinity in Kenya or the lack of it?

The answer lies in News values i.e

Relevance – The first reason why many people are interested in the story whether it be on fatherhood, absentee dads, domestic violence against men, neglect of the boy child; is that they find it relevant in one way or the other.

Second is the dimension of Conflict – Conflict makes good stories. The fact that there seems to be  conflict or perceived conflict between the two genders.