Standard Group has come out swinging against a recent spate of negative reports.
The media group has in recent weeks been the target of social media attacks. First were reports that the company was insolvent and would be closing shop in coming weeks.
Then came some nasty, fast-spreading rumor that there was a serious outbreak of syphilis at KTN. The fake news piece was designed as if it was published by rival newspaper The Star, in their Corridors of Power segment.
It claimed that the station was mulling sending most of its staff home, as some of them had already started exhibiting signs of the STD. The story was obviously fake, but that did not stop it from spreading on social media and even WhatsApp groups.
Faced with these attacks, the media group has decided to fight back.
In an editorial read by Ken Mijungu on Wednesday, the company pointed a finger at Principal Secretary, State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Edward Kisiang’ani, alleging that these attacks started soon after they called him out for denying them a lucrative contract.
Kisiang’ani was ironically a regular panelist on KTN.
“Who benefits from this.. It began soon after we called out the PS (Kisiang’ani). We told Prof. Kisiang’ani not to cut the hand that feeds him,” the editorial stated, further explaining that one of the media’s most important sources of revenue had been shrunk significantly through actions taken by the PS and the government.
Mijungu was of course referring to a recent government decision to award a multi-million shilling contract to publish and distribute MyGov to The Star, at the expense of Nation Media, Standard and MediaMax.
The three media groups are set to lose out on hundreds of millions each year, and have since gone to court.
Mijungu then addressed the Syphilis story, categorically denying that there is an outbreak at the company. The editorial further stated that Standard Group is not about to be auctioned.
“Secondly, we are not sick. These are rumours. Unfounded and very untrue. Stinks to the high heavens. Standard Group is the oldest media house, and it’s not about to close shop. We are not being auctioned, and investors be assured your shares are still being traded. We have some of the most dedicated staff here, and we will stand with them.”
Watch that whole clip.
EDITORIAL: Statement to the online attacks on The Standard Group PLC#NewsHour @KenMijungu pic.twitter.com/GRXt5QlnUG
— KTN News (@KTNNewsKE) April 3, 2024
