Socio-cultural dynamics in censorship of television advertisements in Kenya

Abstract

In recent years in Kenya, certain media programmes, songs and advertisements have been flagged down due to infringement of ethical codes especially for content deemed potentially harmful to children and young people. Such measures have been met with mixed reactions by the general public with some people questioning objectivity of the decisions. Against this backdrop, this qualitative content analysis research was carried out to examine the dynamics of television advertisements’ censorship in Kenya by the Kenya Film and Classification Board (KFCB). The study was guided by propositions of the Multimodal Discourse Analysis Framework and the Gatekeeping theory. Television advertisements censored between 2016 and 2020 were sampled. Findings indicate that television advertisement censorship is primarily driven by concerns over offensive or sexually suggestive content. Other concerns include the protection of children and youth from mimicking undesired behaviour and failure to submit an advertisement to the board for vetting before airing the ad on television. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the dynamics of television advertisement censorship in Kenya and its impact on businesses, consumers, and regulatory bodies.