#SomeoneTellCNN Twitter backlash in Kenya forces CNN to apologise

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March 12th, 2012

12

CNN 0 Violence in Kenya reportA backlash on Twitter by Kenyans accusing US news channel, CNN, of sensational reporting has forced the channel to apologise to Kenyans and pull down a video report on suspected terrorist bombing that took place in downtown Nairobi.  The CNN report portrayed the grenade blasts in Nairobi as “violence in Kenya”, wording that triggered outrage from the tweeting Kenyans.

Using the Twitter hashtag #SomeoneTellCNN the Kenyans on Twitter (#KOT for short) came together to criticize the global news network for misrepresenting the facts. Hashtags are a way of tagging and categorising content on Twitter. The #SomeoneTellCNN hashtag was posted on Twitter so many times on Sunday, March 11, that it became a trending topic on the platform globally.

Subsequently a CNN correspondent in Kenya, David McKenzie apologised and confirmed CNN was pulling the offending video.

Here are some of the #SomeoneTellCNN tweets:

 

 

 

 

And the apologies by the CNN correspondent in Nairobi:

 

 

Some tweets after the CNN correspondent’s apology:

 

 

  image via www.africareview.com

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  • Robasta

    well done kenyans!!!! bravo!!

  • Finally someone hits back!

    The CNN correspondent did good to apologise. sensationalisation is a big problem not only done by CNN but by the BBC, Fox, Sky, France24 you name them. And it’s not just them global channels our own local media is a hugely notorious at this, whether its the private media or the government. bravo to the Kenyans for standing up to the media 

  • http://twitter.com/KuraiMGT KuraiMGT

    Bravo Uhuru. I have encountered ridiculous reports in my line of work as well. I have managed to prove this beyond reasonable doubt so much that, now, all our professional reports in African states are always wary about this problem. Time to hit back!

  • Magneto

    Serves them right those CNN buggers!!

  • Optimus Prime

    Would Zimbabweans do the same? Doubt it.

  • Troxy21

    Congrats Kenya !!!!

  • Anyongo

    if the CNN correspondent in Nairobi is a good and well qualified  there is no way he can be in nairobi.This are the same journalists who downplayed reports on racism in UK recently. The worst slum in the world is in US but they never report that instead the take cameras to Kibera not knowing that  a Kibera resident is  wealthy than this correspondent

  • Chanyani

    No. Some of us have been marginalised off thinking for the good of all Zim.

  • Tendai Mawala

    @1884ba807a5276d0b6008fcafa164dfc:disqus , Zimbos do that, but there is no ear to listen to their voice. Follow the blogs on Herald, NewsDay etc. You’ll notice that people are speaking. Sometimes you don’t get the required result like the Kenyans did but that does not stop you from speaking out. Bravo Kenyans on Twitter (KOT)…

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