University of Nairobi School of Journalism students will be unveiling a new magazine in the coming few days. ‘The Campus Clarion’ is a revamped and rebranded version of the ‘The Anvil’ which was for a long time the official UoN student magazine.
The magazine is going to feature stories on campus life, leisure, politics, entertainment, sports, fashion among other topical issues.
“We are working day and night to beat the deadline which we set for early August. We are also pleading with students to contribute fresh ideas to add to the ones we already have so as to make the magazine more dynamic and also offer the reader a wide array of different topics to choose from,” said Cedric Opany the brains behind the project and chairman of NUJOSA.
”We have no room for incompetence and laziness so whoever wants to join the bandwagon must not possess any of these traits,” he added.
Plans are underway to launch the magazine at the student community level during an event which will be organized by a special select committee before they expand nationally.
“We want to publish at least 300-400 articles per issue. One copy of the magazine will be selling at Ksh100. I want to assure our customers and readers that the issues to be published will be totally relevant,” said James Alando, a member of the research and editorial team.
The student publishers have got support from Mr. James Oranga, the print journalism lecturer who has promised to edit the magazine, get feedback from other faculty members and also throw in a good word to other colleagues with the intention of promoting the venture.
However, in as much as students welcomed the initiative, they are not particularly happy that they have to fund the venture using their own money.
“Their displeasure at having to hear they’ll contribute towards the initial production process stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb. Of course like any other business start-up, financial constraints is a barrier that we will have to overcome,” said Stella Kimani an editor and member of the financial committee.
She added, “We want to make a good impression and we are keeping our fingers crossed in the hope that the debut issue will be successful.”
The group’s research and marketing department has already launched a face book page which has a number of ‘likes ‘as revealed by Mr.Opany.
He also pegs on the hope that the likes they have received on face book are the same ‘likes’ they will receive when the first issue finally comes out.
