A UNDP-FUNDED ANALYSIS by Strategic Research of October's media coverage has concluded that President Kibaki benefited from the most favourable reporting, with television in particular projecting him in a very positive manner.

But despite one shameful exception, the advantage Mr Kibaki enjoyed over Raila Odinga was not overwhelming, and reflected an improvement over the previous month's coverage, said Strategic director Caesar Handa.

Given the Government pressures to influence news coverage, I find this a creditable performance, although, of course, media must continue to work towards more balance.

Strategic's analysis showed also that a secondary beneficiary of the election coverage was Kalonzo Musyoka, who despite his much smaller support base, frequently garnered almost as much attention as Raila did.

THE GLARING EXCEPTION TO better balance came from the Government-controlled KBC Radio's General Service, which has, by far, the largest audience of any national media. KBC provided four times as much coverage of PNU than of ODM, which got even less coverage than ODM-Kenya.

The media scene now is substantially different from that which prevailed during the run-up to the constitutional referendum in 2005.

To many observers, including myself, the Nation Group appeared to support the Government, while the Standard appeared to root for ODM, given the anti-constitution position of former President Moi, who is an influential figure at that media house.

KBC, then under Wachira Waruru, tried gamely to be as balanced as was possible.

But now, with Mr Moi strongly supporting President Kibaki, none of the major media houses are pro-Raila.

There is nothing reprehensible in this: it is completely acceptable for private media to favour a candidate of its choice. That support, however, must be limited to the editorial and commentary pages and not intrude into news coverage.

However, even in the commentary pages, there should be some balance. In this regard, it is noticeable that while many opinion writers express strongly anti-Raila views, criticism of President Kibaki is restrained.

It is never easy to judge what constitutes a negative story. If media highlight the deep divisions within the PNU parties over nomination procedures, or the contradiction between ODM's strong anti-corruption stand and the presence of allegedly mega-corrupt people in its leadership ranks, these can be hardly taken to be "negative" stories.

Mr Handa pointed out that most newspapers' front page coverage of the attack on the ODM rally in Meru seemingly blamed Raila and not his attackers.

Government pressure can also be presumed to be behind the decision by one television station to completely downplay important news it had initially highlighted in covering a minister and his staff's potential role in the violence.

Another effort by the Government to directly influence coverage occurred last week, when PNU sent a letter to The Standard claiming that the President rarely made it to the front page, except when in a negative context.

Among the specific target of the party's complaint was managing editor Kipkoech Tanui, whose sharp barbs spare no one. Asked for a response, Mr Handa said his analysis revealed no such anti-Kibaki bias.

One regrettable example of how cautiously media are treading in this election period is the downplaying of the awful revelation by the Kenya National Human Rights Commission that over 500 young men were executed and bodies dumped in Ngong' area, most likely by police, on suspicion of being Mungiki.

THE SCALE OF THIS ATROCITY THAT KNCHR head Maina Kiai correctly described as a crime against humanity, showed that we now have death squads in Kenya, police or otherwise.

The story needed banner headlines. Instead, neither newspaper used it even as the day's main story, and the headlines themselves did not give an indication of the enormity of the crime committed.

But I must add that I am pleased with how both our major newspapers are highlighting disturbing developments that must displease the Government, as when the Nation reported this week that in order to win their votes, the authorities are allowing hawkers to flood Nairobi streets, while tree-cutting in protected areas has been permitted.