By and large, it’s not an interesting time for journalists in Kenya. Journalism in Kenya, just like in the rest of the world, is going through a challenging time technologically, economically, and professionally; hurdles that call for a deeper reflection by all and sundry.
The current instability and massive layoffs in the media in Kenya have very little to do with professional production and redundancy, as we are made to understand, but economically motivated actions that have everything to do with mismanagement, corruption, and unethical business conduct by some media managers and owners. Journalists are just being sacrificed.
Uncertainty over innovation such as Artificial Intelligence, a hostile business environment, denial of revenue from advertising, credibility and trust issues, unethical behavior by journalists, among others, are threatening the sector.
A number of media outlets are coming up with innovative ideas including in-depth public interest content, cost-saving interventions, and fundraising strategies that will ensure the media industry remains, but more is needed so that it’s not seen as an industry being ostracized.
The purely economic and factory management approach to running media business has pushed journalists to the brink. News has become a product for sale, and investors want huge returns from the enterprises at the expense of news that has public value.
Journalists ascending to positions of management in news organizations are being asked to undergo training and further studies in business management rather than in journalism.
In several media houses, the editorial, which is the core business of the companies, is the most neglected, invested in, and valued compared with advertising or commercial departments.
You will be surprised at how many resources are wasted on non-core issues — abandoned equipment, offices, studios, printing equipment, vehicles, and related items at all media houses.
We must value journalists and remember it’s useless for journalism to be writing about corruption and other ills in other sectors when it’s worse in the media. The media must clean house and embrace accountability, human rights, and best practices in human and economic resource management.
I think journalists must start talking about the running down of media enterprises by managers, who then sacrifice journalists in them to make their companies remain afloat. Procurement mismanagement, white elephants, and poor investment decisions are the order of the day in media companies, and quick, prudent decision-making is lacking, leaving journalists equally frustrated.
Similarly, journalists should now move to separate the commercial interests of their employers and the professional ethics for which they were trained.
We must, while serving the interests of our employers, also work on ensuring and holding ourselves to the professional standards that differentiate us from media workers, and this might not be served within the existing formations.
From the interest and recent actions from other quarters, Kenyans are largely taking a very punitive approach to rein in on the media. Everyone seems to be blaming the media for all manner of evil, and some journalists seem to be succumbing to the pressure — either by doing purely public relations stories or abandoning newsrooms.
The legal environment and the mob justice approach to dealing with journalists have seriously exposed the media to threats. It would seem the government has started applying subjective allocation of advertising revenue to compliant media houses, while certain private corporations, through corporate tyranny, have also sought to influence editorial independence by withholding advertising revenue.
The current onslaught on journalists calls for an urgent awakening amongst journalists to reevaluate and improve media professionalism and accountability within the industry and, above all, improve the working environment for media practitioners in the country.
The media must work towards creating solidarity and a common agenda for the media fraternity in the country to not only reduce the divisions in the sector but ensure that media issues are part of the national agenda, and a conducive environment is created for the media to play its role in national development unhindered.
More importantly, as media criticism takes shape and is welcome, Kenyans should be aware that not all people carrying cameras, recorders, and notebooks are journalists or work for legitimate and credible media outlets; many are mere cons and brokers looking for your money.
Press conferences will be packed to capacity, fake interviews will be done, and several sources will be asked to facilitate or “release” the “journalists” after those interviews or press conferences; but no stories will be forthcoming.
Angry sources, after failing to see the articles, will accuse media of all manner of things, creating a very hostile working environment for journalists and other media workers who are legitimate.
