ABSTRACT
This chapter employs a thematic-inductive analysis of testimonies from six journalists and a media CEO who appeared before the Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission to testify about the post-election violence and Kenya’s record of historical injustices. State targeting is an enduring tactic that successive governments in Kenya have used to malign journalists seen as uncooperative. Sole focus on the peace messaging ahead of the 2013 elections erases journalistic reflections about their work in producing “official truth” as news. As journalists participate in a truth-seeking process, their “truth” shapes nuanced understandings of their professional boundaries amidst a political crisis. Transitional justice contexts, therefore, require an examination of the news media’s role as a tool for truth-seeking, reconciliation, and healing. The Nairobi connection in news-making places the city at the center of power where key decisions are made and where stories become news.
