NTV journalist admits insensitive Ethiopian Airlines crash coverage

What was meant to be a clever story telling technique ended up being insensitive as NTV Business reporter Dann Mwangi found out.

The NTV journalist, who is also known for his poetry, had to pen an apology in prose following a report on the Ethiopian Airlines that caused a stir with netizens calling it insensitive.

Mwangi admitted mea culpa, saying that any offense caused to especially the bereaved was unintentional.

“I would never intentionally trivialise death or even injury; it is simply not my person, heart or intention,” he said.

During the presentation on NTV Tonight on March 11, the business reporter “brushed off the smoke from his shoulder” that was emanating from the simulation of the Ethiopian Airlines crash that claimed the lives of 157 people. The message, he seemed to portray, was that NTV had done such a good job of the graphics that the smoke from the simulation was leaping off the screen and into the studio.

The apology, posted on Twitter, also admitted to the failed ambition of the NTV crew to cleverly simulate the tragic plane crash.

“I acknowledge that in our skew towards graphics/simulation, while trying to paint a fairly tangible picture, it came across as something else. The line was crossed, regrettably.”

[Read: BIC launches East African HQ in Nairobi]

The TV anchor, who is known as a Christian and describes himself as a Discipler of Christ on his Twitter bio, also said that when reaction to his actions was brought to his attention, he apologised during the business news segment.

“The report, in its dynamics, rubbed many the wrong way having come across as insensitive to the grieving bereaved, especially.”

NTV journalist Dan Mwangi

“In reiteration of this, I offer my unreserved apology to all the families, friends, and all others who I unintentionally offended,” he said.

This comes even as Kenyans bashed the Associated Press (AP) for what was perceived as biased coverage of the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash.

In a breaking news update, AP failed to mention any sub-Sahara African country among the casualties, even though Kenya and Ethiopia suffered fatalities to 18 and 9 nationals, the highest and third highest respectively.

#EthiopianAirlineCrash. Shalom. pic.twitter.com/Q0UgKOrqc1

— Number8, the poet (@DannMwangi) March 12, 2019