CAPTION: Standard Online Managing Editor and former Tuko.co.ke employee Carole Kimutai
A reliable source within the Standard Digital department has informed cnyakundi.com that the company’s Human Resource Department Manager had to convene and urgent meeting this morning after the media house’s online team staged a go-slow over the constant issuance of threats by Managing Editor employee Carole Kimutai.
Our source, who requested that his identity be kept anonymous, also told this site’s Chief Editor that Ms. Kimutai has grown extremely unpopular within the company.
“Hi Nyakundi, Standard Online Managing Editor Carole Kimutai is always threatening her staff. Now her staff are on a go slow until the HR had to convene a meeting with the team. Kimutai is so unpopular within the company. Here is a message she recently sent to the team.”
“Dear Team,
I trust you had a good week.
As part of ensuring excellence in the quality of our content, this is to officially inform you that the senior management has directed that YOU and the individuals you supervise will henceforth personally bear responsibility for any error/s that will be found in content shared online (website, social media, info graphics, captions, video content) and on SMS.
See below:
1. Typos, grammatical errors and lack of fact checking will no longer be tolerated. This applies for all types of content – including video and graphics. Refer to the editorial policy about fact checking and the balanced reportage.
2. You will be asked to explain in writing any piece of content (story, SMS, photo, video, social media post, tweet etc), that will be found on the platform you are in charge of that reads like PR, marketing or promotional material. This will also apply to all content picked from the DCX or published in the print products.
It will no longer be an excuse that photos or articles that read like advertorials have been published in the newspaper. As a sub editor, you are expected to read through the content before uploading. This explanation will not be accepted.
All advertorial content should come through Lucy Wamuyu (Native Advertising Editor) and approved by me.
3. As an online Sub Editor, you are hence forth expected and required to subject further quality checks on all content that have already been approved for print and broadcasting. If an error is found and you uploaded the content online without raising it with me or the Revise Editor (Sammy Wambua), you will be responsible for the error even if you are not the original author of the content.
Even if the piece of content is not originally from the online team, you are expected to review before processing for online distribution.
4. In the case of breaking news from reporters, you are REQUIRED to subject it to a thorough fact check and verification process. Ensure you have adequate information and facts before publishing as a social media post, article, video or SMS.
5. The social media team (Julian) will also be liable for sharing any posters with errors and typos. As gatekeepers, you now bear responsibility in checking all content you receive from marketing, broadcasting and other departments. If you reject any communication, ensure the reasons are clearly communicated to the source and the ME should be put in copy.
Kindly refresh yourself by going through the editorial policy and our style guide that you signed and committed to follow.
You are now expected to tighten the quality checks in your sections and ensure everyone understands the responsibility they bear when handling content.
Kindly note, we now have an editorial HR disciplinary process that you and the team member will be subjected to going forward when an error is found on a platform you supervise. More details about the disciplinary process will be communicated by the Editor in Chief in coming days.
Please inform and educate your teams about the above. I look forward to your corporation and compliance in this area.
If you have any questions, do reach me.”
