On Friday, September 20, 2024, during my stay in Nairobi, Kenya, I came across an intriguing headline in The Standard, a widely read Kenyan newspaper. The headline read: “How Sub-standard Cooking Oil Found It’s Way in Kenyan Market.” While the story it introduced seemed significant, the glaring grammatical error in the headline was impossible to ignore. The misuse of “it’s” instead of the correct possessive form “its” highlighted a lapse in editorial scrutiny within the publication’s editorial team, particularly the sub-editors and editor-in-chief.
This discovery brought to mind a deeper concern about the state of grammar proficiency in journalism, especially among fresh graduates entering the field of print journalism. Over the years, many journalism graduates have faced rejection during employment processes not necessarily due to a lack of reporting skills but due to their inability to construct grammatically sound sentences. This issue underscores the importance of a solid foundation in grammar, which is essential for those aspiring to thrive in the field of journalism.
Even within professional groups on social media platforms meant to foster collaboration among journalists, one can often observe troubling grammatical blunders. Ironically, those who position themselves as guardians of proper grammar often contribute to the problem, unintentionally earning the title of “grammar assassins” instead of “grammar saviors.”
This article is not written to mock The Standard for its mistake. Instead, it serves as a wake-up call and a reminder for aspiring journalists and Mass Communication students. Grammar is the backbone of effective communication, and for those pursuing a career in journalism, its mastery is non-negotiable. As literature and language are foundational subjects in the study of journalism, prospective students must give them the attention they deserve. Without this, even the most groundbreaking stories may lose credibility due to avoidable errors.
The role of grammar in journalism cannot be overstated. From newsrooms to social media, journalists must set an example of clear, concise, and grammatically correct writing. As I reflect on this experience in Kenya, I urge both current and aspiring journalists to take grammar as seriously as they take the stories they wish to tell. After all, a well-told story starts with the right words, used the right way.
