March 2021 Media Viability in East Africa: Kenya Media Futures East Africa Supported by ii © Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications Prepared by: Haron Mwangi, Wilson Ugangu, Rose Kimani, Hesbon Hansen Owilla and Njeri Wanjiru Editors: George Gathigi and Ann Hollifield Reviewed by: Joseph Nyanoti and Julia Wegner In the context of: The Media Futures EA Project Implemented through: Aga Khan University - Graduate School of Media & Communication (AKU GSMC) DW Akademie Supported by: Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KFW) Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit & Entwicklung (BMZ) Recommended citation: Media Innovation Centre. (2021). Media Viability in Kenya. Graduate School of Media and Communications, Aga Khan University and DW Akademie. *The order of researchers who prepared this report is alphabetical iii Executive Summary The media in Kenya mirrors the social, political and community indicators include: citizen education, between the media in Kenya and the government legal transformation that has taken place in the social cohesion, trust and credibility, participation is often adversarial. On a positive note, professional last half a century. Since independence, the media and audience data. The technological indicators associations and independent statutory institutions have been affected by the government’s oscillation are: production and distribution of resources, like the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG), Kenya Union of between more authoritarian and more liberal NMOs’ access to technology, audience’s access to Journalists (KUJ) and the Media Council of Kenya regimes. Over the past two decades, however, the technology, digital expertise and citizens’ digital (MCK) continue to play a critical role in protecting arc has been towards enhancements of freedom of rights. Lastly, content indicators include: content journalists and the media industry. expression, access to information, and economic quality, journalism expertise, NMOs’ ownership, Economic indicators for Kenya present an growth that has supported the nation’s technological business structures, competencies and business ambivalent picture. The Kenyan economy has development and the viability of national and local expertise. steadily grown in the last two decades, supporting news media. The media landscape is diverse and, Experts argue that the media sector in Kenya has one of the most vibrant media landscapes in the with one news producing company for every 320,500 developed and defined itself along successive region. Unfortunately, the high level of competition people, very competitive. Ownership of the nation’s political phases characterised by complex political has resulted in repeated downsizing and cost- news media is, however, highly concentrated, with and economic structures. The World Justice cutting in many news media houses in recent six major media corporations controlling 95 percent Project’s Rule of Law Index (2020) documented years, and ownership is highly concentrated. of both the audience and advertising market inherent challenges in the areas of corruption, order, Additionally, the financial independence of news share. As of the beginning of 2021, there were security and the rule of law in the Kenyan media media organisations is fairly tenuous, and this approximately 173 radio stations, 72 TV channels that they point out undermines the constitutionally affects editorial independence. With a small pool of and 19 newspapers and 13 online news sites serving guaranteed freedom of expression and freedom of advertisers mainly from the private sector and the Kenya. the media. Similarly, the constitution, legislative government through the Government Advertising This national level media viability analysis of the acts and the attendant regulatory institutions have Agency (GAA), there is potential influence on Kenyan media is guided by the DW Akademie Media been established to ensure that both the citizens news content from both key economic players Viability Indicators (MVIs) covering the broad topics and the media have the right to access information. and the political establishment. The advertising of politics, economics, community, technology, and However, access to information is still problematic market is further fragmented by the growth of content (Deselaers, James, Mikhael, & Schneider, and Kenyan journalists have no special legal social media, international digital platforms and 2019). Politics deals with the rule of law, freedom protections in their work and some laws criminalise digital-native platforms. Despite Kenya’s sustained of expression, access to information, legal equality, specific journalistic acts. There are instances economic growth, and the highest GDP in East and media within society. On the economic in which journalists are discredited, assaulted, Africa, a significant percentage of the population aspect, national economy, financial stability harassed or intimidated, sometimes by government has relatively low purchasing power and the NMOs of news media organisations (NMOs), financial officials. While the Kenyan law treats the media, are struggling to generate revenue when serving independence of NMOs, competition, and audience as an industry, comparably the same to other this demographic. The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 demand for quality journalism are analysed. The industries, experts observe that the relationship appears to have further exacerbated the Kenyan news media’s financial challenges. iv Community as a media viability indicator focuses on average monthly income remain higher than in reaching Kenyan citizens. Financial difficulties the structure of society and the extent to which social most other regions of the world. Therefore, although in Kenyan media houses have resulted in layoffs conditions support the audience consumption of technologies play an important role in a changing and restructurings that have caused an outflow news. Kenyans are comparatively well educated Kenyan media environment, the real benefits of the of journalists from media houses. The big media when measured against other countries in the region mobile platform as a news distribution platform houses are concentrated in Nairobi, with news and have a high literacy rate of 82 percent for the is limited to urban and affluent audiences and media in outlying areas facing greater financial demographic group of 15 years and above. Social large media companies. Even then, media houses challenges and less access to skilled labour. Direct cohesion remains a big issue in Kenya and both face the ongoing challenge of monetising their and indirect government pressure on media houses political parties and the media have contributed to digital content. Thanks to technology and internet and individual journalists has been increasing. ethnic and cultural differentiation. Radio, especially access, Kenyans are increasingly participating in Legacy media organizations are increasingly building vernacular broadcasts, has been accused of content production. This is a welcome development capacity as information curators as opposed to distributing news and information that threatens as scholars have decried the media’s dismal focusing on traditional forms of breaking news. social cohesion – a situation that is exacerbated performance in providing opportunities for citizens Kenya’s NMOs are also diversifying their revenue during election campaigns. Consequently, there to express their opinions (Nyabuga, 2017a). There streams and exploring non-media business ventures has been a steady decline in the level of confidence are concerns about citizens’ digital rights in terms of like courier services, gaming and advertising in the media among Kenyans because of content privacy, surveillance, and data security, particularly agencies. They are experimenting with different issues, instances of misleading advertisements and in the wake of the Data Protection Act of 2019 – an types of content and delivery like video on demand culturally insensitive content. These issues have issue Kenya’s media has proactively engaged in. In subscription based platforms and competing media compounded the lack of community support to terms of the media’s use of audience data, Kenya houses are now leveraging on coopetition, that is, news media in Kenya. has a number of market research companies that cooperating on capital investments in infrastructure provide data on audience consumption habits, Kenya has invested heavily in digital infrastructure. while competing on content production and delivery media brands and media market share to media Since 2016, its annual growth rate in the information at the same time. organisations and advertisers alike. Concerns have technology sector of 10.8 percent has caused the been raised about data quality, and small media In summary, while it is evident that Kenya’s country to be named the “Silicon Savannah.” The organisations have been found to often lack access media institutions have the business expertise Internet World Stats (2020) indicated that Kenya, to audience and in-house research capabilities. to mitigate both the digital disruption and the with a population of 47,564,296 (KNBS, 2019) had COVID-19 pandemic, significant challenges to an internet penetration of 85.2 percent, while ITU Experts agree that Kenya’s NMOs generally produce long-term viability remain. Increasing government (2019) indicated smartphone usage had grown high quality and credible content. Journalists in pressure on news media houses, changing by 84 percent