The Significant Role of Media in Enhancing National Cohesion Today

This essay discusses the significant role of media in enhancing national cohesion through various functions such as promoting transparency and accountability in government, mobilizing masses on sensitive matters, providing analysis of international economic development, and acting as a mirror of society. The essay highlights the media's role in peacemaking, citing examples from Kenya's post-election violence where media houses fostered unity between political leaders and their supporters. It also examines how media provides a platform for social interaction, promotes national cohesion by presenting a common view of culture, and acts as an activist in directing public policy. The essay concludes that media plays a vital role in enhancing transparency and accountability, ultimately contributing to national unity by informing citizens about government programs and projects.

2. ROLE OF MEDIA IN ENHANCING NATIONAL COHESION;
Mass media is convenient and reliable as it reaches millions of people .Similarly mass
media plays a vital role in enhancing transparency and accountability in government
through making information available to general public.
Mobilizing masses in sensitive matters- This can be done by sensitizing people on sensitive
matters such as security of the nation .This will sensitize public at large about national
security hence building unity in fighting insecurity.
Media may provide analysis of international economic development ,This media role will
help in projecting economic well being of the people that can generate cohesiveness in
the nation as economy is the most significant factor contributing to the growth and
progress of the nation.
Media is the mirror of the society and the voice of the people. It is therefore true to
state that media plays a major role in peacemaking process. For example during post
election violence in Kenya, media houses in Kenya such as Daily nation and Sunday
Nation newspapers wrote stories that brought unity between the former president Mwai
Kibaki who was the leader of the PNU party and Raila Odinga who was the leader of
Orange Democratic Movement famously known as the ODM party among the people, which
was the opposition party at the time.
Media houses also help bring peace by bringing opposition political parties and
opposing political leaders together during election times. They only achieve this when they
host worrying political leaders to interviews .By doing this openly bring out conversations
that outwardly involve the leaders .Through this the leaders are able to share their
opinions and views about various matters that openly affect the public .This also helps
reduce tension that could be affecting the whole country or various parts of the country
that are known to be strong supporters of various political parties. This is well achieved
when the people are able to see their various leaders speak out and share their views
and lay their ideas on a common table .For example during election period in Kenya
media houses such as royal media house and Nation media tried to urge Uhuru Kenyatta
and Raila Odinga to have a dialogue so as to ease tension among their supporters.
Media houses provide a platform for social interactions where the people can give their
views .During various times , the media captures reports when they interact with citizens
from different parts of the country .The people give their views and opinions on
various political issues affecting the country .This will help to bring national unity as
media takes opinions of citizens without biasness or favourism in terms of tribalism,
nepotism and religion.

Media promotes national cohesion by presenting common view of culture ;most of media
houses work to scrutinize different cultures and shade light to citizens so as to
recognize themselves as Kenyans rather than specifying themselves to be from a certain
tribal line or culture. This is mostly observed in media programs and news anchoring
where news are aired in either English or Kiswahili which in Kenya are the national
languages and are the widely and commonly used languages in Kenya for communication
. This two languages being used act as a unifying factor in Kenya.
Media is educative and act as an activist in directing public policy through shedding light
on issues that government is unwilling to tackle. This will be a vital role in enchasing
transparency and accountability in government through making information available in
public which will help in enhancing national unity to citizens since they will be aware of
their government programs and projects.

REFERENCES:
Smirth, G.A , 2007. Politics in Paris , George town University Press
Freedman , D, 2009 .The politics of media policy, Cambridge polity.
Zaller , J.R , 1992 . Nature and origins of mass opinion, Cambridge University Press