6.1 Meaning of conflict of interest

A conflict of interest is a situation in which a person's private interests, such as money, relationships, political loyalty or personal ambition, could influence, or appear to influence, the way they carry out their professional duties. In journalism the professional duty is to serve the public with accurate, fair and independent information, so a conflict of interest arises whenever something other than the public interest might shape what a journalist covers, how the story is told, or what is left out. A conflict of interest is not in itself wrongdoing: it becomes an ethical failure when it is hidden or when the journalist allows it to affect the work. Example: a reporter assigned to cover a county's tender for a new market is the sister of one of the bidders; the relationship is a conflict of interest, and she should declare it to her editor and step aside from the story.

Key terms

• Interest: Anything a person stands to gain or lose, whether money, a relationship, a reputation, a career opportunity or a cause they support.
• Duty: What the professional owes to others, which for a journalist is accuracy, fairness and independence in serving the audience.
• Conflict: The situation in which the private interest and the professional duty pull in different directions.
• Declaration or disclosure: Telling the employer, and where needed the audience, about an interest that could affect the work.
• Recusal: Stepping aside from a story or decision because of a conflict of interest.

Elements of a conflict of interest

1. A professional role: The person holds a position of trust, such as reporter, editor, presenter or producer.
2. A duty to others: The role carries obligations to the audience and the employer.
3. A private interest: The person has a financial, personal, political or other interest.
4. A link between them: The private interest is connected to the subject of the work, so that the person's judgement could be affected.
5. The risk of influence: It is not necessary to prove that the judgement was actually affected; the risk, or the appearance of it, is enough.

Why conflict of interest matters in journalism

• Credibility: Audiences cannot trust a story if they suspect the journalist had something to gain from it.
• Independence: Journalism is valuable only when it is free from the influence of those it covers.
• Fairness: Interested journalists may favour friends or attack rivals, treating people in the news unequally.
• Accountability journalism: Reporters who depend on the powerful for money or favours cannot hold them to account.
• Reputation of the media house: One undisclosed conflict can damage trust in the whole outlet.

Conflict of interest and the Kenyan Code of Conduct

The Code of Conduct for Media Practice, 2025, the national code administered by the Media Council of Kenya, requires journalists and media enterprises to keep editorial content free from undue influence by advertisers, media owners, sources, government and special interest groups, to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest, and to declare and manage all conflicts of interest, including those arising from gifts, funding, advertising, discounts and sponsored travel. It also forbids soliciting or accepting payments, gifts or favours from those seeking to influence coverage, and exploiting information obtained at work for personal gain. These provisions (chapter 3) are the national basis for the rules on conflict of interest described in this chapter.

Conflict of interest, bias and corruption

• Conflict of interest: A situation in which a private interest could influence the work. It may exist even when the journalist behaves honestly.
• Bias: A leaning in favour of or against a person, group or idea. A conflict of interest can cause bias, but bias can also come from personal beliefs alone.
• Corruption: Actually using a position for private gain, for example writing a favourable story in exchange for money. Corruption is what an unmanaged conflict of interest can turn into.