As the country’s economy continues to sway back and forth, the waves threaten to sink the media industry ship.
The harrowing repercussions have been the recent and ongoing lay-offs in several media outlets, some of which are widely regarded as the country’s top destinations and home to seasoned and well-groomed journalists.
The problem
On redundancy declaration, editors, reporters, news presenters, and other journalistic brains are all alike being laid off and their positions either replaced or disbanded.
Despite the increased numbers of fresh-from-the-boat journalists, the fate of the budding journalists has been at stake and the waters are turning murky all along.
In a recent Scribes Kenya end-of-year Party, members of the Fourth Estate urged the government to intervene and salvage the Media Organizations and facilitate them to cope with the ongoing economic hardships.
The blissful event offered journalists elbow room to reflect on their own and the industry’s achievements in the last year.
However, despite the gains, uncertainty continues to hem in the media fraternity as media houses announce moves to downsize their workforce in a struggle to survive from the lean profits.
Speaking during the event held at the Frima Gardens in Nairobi on December 3, 2022, Scribes Kenya President Roncliffe Odit from BBC Africa, noted that the media fraternity continues to be adversely affected as most of the journalists are being declared redundant.
Government’s slice
“We are calling upon the government and other stakeholders to join hands and map out ways of continuously equipping journalists to help them be all-rounded in keeping with the changing times,” Odit appealed.
According to 2020 data by Reelanalytics, a marketing and media intelligence entity, government and private sector players spent KSh 52 billion to buy advertisement space on radio, television, and print media between January and May 2020, a KSh 1 billion increase from 2019 expenditure on advertising.
Calling to mind that the government has been quick to salvage other companies facing a financial crisis, including Kenya Airways, the journalists called upon the government to acknowledge the significance of the media sector and support the media organizations to be able to pay their workers and ensure they don’t lose jobs.
With the government being the leading advertiser in Kenya’s media spaces, it should bail out these media organizations.
Equally, “…the government should ensure that both grassroots and national media houses get a share of the advertising revenues,” says Odit.
This would strike a balance between the established and blooming media organizations to hang on and, at least, be spared by the wave.
Digital journalists
Internet connectivity throughout the country stood at 42% at the start of 2022 and is on an upward trajectory.
This penetration rate has contributed to a more vibrant permeation and access to Social Media and other digital spaces, turning digital outlets into a more expansive space for sharing and getting information and news, as immediately as they break.
Faith Sudi, a Communication Consultant, gave a clarion call urging journalists to embrace digital innovations that are increasingly changing how news is delivered to consumers.
“The impact of digital disruption is real in the newsrooms. It is now all about how to survive the catastrophe through trainings, and developing a special niche in news,” she observed.
Her sentiments were echoed by Taifa Leo Editor Juma Namlola, who underscored the need to be more in-depth in reporting to offer value to the audience.
“These days the audience get breaking news faster through social media. It is up to journalists now to be more creative and offer something more than just breaking news,” he advised.
Breaking news carries a significant portion of daily news and with the social media users breaking and accessing them first, the radio, print and TV only afford to remind the audience of what happened, thus the call for journalists to dig deeper and unearth the finer details to supplement the breaking news.
It should be remembered that the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has also been on the move to provide a leeway for journalists to use their smartphones in collecting and disseminating news. In a public notice released a week ago, MCK urged training institutions, media organizations and professional support groups to expedite mobile phone use as a journalistic tool.
The support and agitation to consider Mobile Journalism, a facilitator to digital journalism, has been on course and calls for journalists to approach the profession with a different eye and align to the changing world.
Equipping the remnant
The journalists still practicing and those joining the industry have to adapt to the changes being experienced in the industry, including having a keener eye on what the audience wants to consume, and tailoring it to suit the recipients.
According to the Scribes Kenya President, “They should also move away from traditional “breaking news” to more in-depth reporting, analysis and human interest features, because the breaking news are currently being shared first on social media.”
In contribution to equipping its members, Scribes Kenya has been at the forefront of sharing digital knowledge with its members.
The members also share available opportunities in their fora to offer opportunity leads to colleagues facing and who are risking facing redundancy.
It is the first digital platform linking over 250 journalists, Public Relations and Communication professionals working and corresponding in private and government sector organizations based on the regional, national and international fronts.
Their mission is to establish robust and impactful influence opportunities that build and maintain their relationships as trusted industry players through collaboration and knowledge sharing.
“How then can the remnant journalists remain relevant and up-to-date?” You may ask.
To survive in the faltering moment in the media industry, “Journalists need to adapt to the changing currents of the industry. They should go back to school, learn new skills and get accustomed to the new digital environment,” urges Odit.
For instance, during a consultative meeting between the MCK, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) researchers, scientists, journalists, and other stakeholders at KEMRI offices in Kilifi County three months ago, journalists were urged to branch out and specialize in science reporting.
That would infuse accuracy in breaking down complex scientific information and packaging it in a way easily understandable by the public.
To provide solutions to Kenya’s ailments through informing and educating the public, the journalists were also implored to stick to truthfulness and approach their storytelling with solution-based angles.
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The journalists are left on a dividing line, owning very few options concerning their career and expecting the government to move with speed and take up their cause by allocating more funds to the media for adverts, financing the sector as one of the driving industries in the country and other solutions at its disposal.
The event was sponsored by the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), the Engineers Board of Kenya (EB), and the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC), among others. Journalists who excelled in their various spheres of expertise in 2022 were also awarded, with The Star Newspaper Sub Editor Eliud Kibii being declared The Scribe of the Year 2022.
