http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/-/440808/2108036/-/6ixembz/-/index.html

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2013

The short history of tomatoes, meat, press freedom, and Mandela wisdom

In Summary

If you consider all these uses, I would say the only person who will truly have taken the newspaper to heart is the one who uses it to wrap meat or potatoes.
The connection between newspapers and food that goes in the stomach is a special anthropological link that has a long and special history that goes well beyond Kenya.

By Charles Onyango-Obbo
More by this Author

As Kenya celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence, it is engaged in a debate about press freedom that is more suitable to 1963 than 2013 — about how much of it is too little, too much, irresponsible, or for that matter, whether the press is useful.

Oh yes, and how much journalists and media houses should be punished for behaving badly.

This intrusion on the country's 50th birthday party follows the passing of the contentious Kenya Information and Communication Amendment Bill 2013 — otherwise known simply as the Media Bill — by Parliament.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, upset members further by suggesting that newspapers are good mostly for wrapping meat.

That provoked my colleague and fellow columnist, Macharia Gaitho, to write, with the proverbial tongue-in-cheek, that: "In this age when infernal non-biodegradable plastic is clogging up every nook and cranny, it is indeed gratifying that we have leaders conscious of the need to reuse newspapers as part of the effort to promote environmentally-friendly, cost-effective packaging solutions.

"That is why we in the newspaper industry must ensure that President Kenyatta and Deputy President Ruto will never run out of wrapping paper for their meat, takeaway chicken, and chips aka chips funga, fresh fruits and vegetables, and all other various wrapping needs."

Now, since we are mourning the great man, former South African president and global icon Nelson Mandela, and President Kenyatta was in South Africa for his memorial service, let us first quote what he had to say about media freedom:

"A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press must be free from state interference. It must have the economic strength to stand up to the blandishments of government officials. It must have sufficient independence from vested interests to be bold and inquiring without fear or favour. It must enjoy the protection of the constitution, so that it can protect our rights as citizens." That was in February 1994.

Mandela was a Gaithoist; he would not have said that newspapers are good mostly for wrapping meat, tomatoes, and for use as "toilet paper", as some of the more unkind critics like to say.

However, over the years I thought long and hard enough about press freedom to have figured that one of the most important things anyone can do with a newspaper is not read it, but use it to wrap meat.

You see, there are many things one can do with a newspaper. Firstly, buy and read it. Secondly, buy and not read it. Thirdly not buy but read from someone who bought it. Fourthly, rent it for a few shillings and return to the vendor who will later turn it back to the publisher as "unsold". Fifthly, ignore it totally. Sixthly, use it to wrap or cover something. And, yes, seventhly, recycle it.

If you consider all these uses, I would say the only person who will truly have taken the newspaper to heart is the one who uses it to wrap meat or potatoes.

I think that the worst thing you can do to a newspaper, and all news media, is to ignore it. The woman in the market might not read the newspaper, but she (along with the recycler) is the only one you can be sure did not ignore it.

Secondly, I have always been touched that in many of our societies, people have chosen the newspaper as the best material to wrap food in the market. That connection between newspapers and food that goes in the stomach is a special anthropological link that has a long and special history that goes well beyond Kenya.

I would go farther and say that the link is even deeper with people who use newspapers for toilet paper. The rear end is one of the most intimate parts of our bodies and grown people only allow the closest and most trusted people access to it — especially when it is naked.

So to think that possibly anything between two to five million Kenyans of all religions, sexes, ages, and tribes daily allow newspapers close acquaintance with their most intimate bits is a remarkable vote of confidence.

Therefore, let us not dare despair for, indeed, as Mandela's life story taught us, often times your enemy strengthens you. And even in captivity, one can still find glory.

cobbo@ke.nationmedia.com and twitter:cobbo3