IN SHORT: A doctored photo on Facebook falsely claims that the Citizen TV journalist has won a title backed by the ruling party. Olive Burrows has faced accusations of government bias in her interviews, which the fake photo seeks to reinforce.
"Olive Burrows wins Miss UDA in the journalism category! Congratulations!!!" reads a post on Facebook.
This statement implies a competition in which Burrows won an award, although it is misleading and unclear, confusing a journalism award with a beauty pageant.
The post is accompanied by a photo of Citizen TV news anchor Olive Burrows. It shows Burrows in a yellow dress with the branding of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), Kenya's ruling party led by president William Ruto.
Citizen TV is Kenya's largest and most-watched broadcaster.
The caption suggests she was recognised for her work promoting the party.
Burrows has attracted attention for her interviewing style, particularly when covering political issues, such as her interview with youth activist Kasmuel McOure, a prominent critic of the government's handling of recent protests.
Their exchange fueled accusations from some that Burrows was defending the government.
This photo and the claim have also been posted here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of this report.)
So does this photograph show Burrows in a yellow dress with the UDA party logo? We checked.
Doctored photo
A Google reverse image search of the photo shows that the original was taken on 26 February 2024. It shows Burrows in a jade green dress, not yellow. However, the pose and the background are the same.
The image has been altered to fit the narrative that Burrows is pro-government.
